As a digital subscriber, you’ll receive unlimited access to Horn Book web exclusives and extensive archives, as well as access to our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database.
To access other site content, visit The Horn Book homepage.
To continue you need an active subscription to hbook.com.
Subscribe now to gain immediate access to everything hbook.com has to offer, as well as our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database, which contains tens of thousands of short, critical reviews of books published in the United States for young people.
Thank you for registering. To have the latest stories delivered to your inbox, select as many free newsletters as you like below.
No thanks. Return to article
342 pp.
| Candlewick
| October, 2019
|
TradeISBN 978-1-5362-0941-9$18.99 New ed. (1987, Orchard)
(2)
YA
Illustrated by
Frances Castle.
This valuable collection of almost fifty stories from the British Isles is a reissue of Crossley-Holland's 1987 British Folk Tales, with tales from his 1997 collection The Old Stories folded in. Divided into themed sections, the volume covers a wide range of tale types and includes standards (e.g., "Mossycoat"; "Tam Lin") as well as many less-familiar stories. This master storyteller's prose employs inimitable turns of phrase but never at the expense of the original folktales. An appended section meticulously identifies sources.
40 pp.
| Minedition
| January, 2017
|
TradeISBN 978-988-8341-36-8$17.99
(3)
K-3
A faithful retelling with the refrain "FEE, FIE, FO, FUM! I SMELL THE BLOOD OF AN ENGLISHMAN!" However, when Jack climbs the beanstalk, he spots some strange creatures. Töwe, "inspired by the sixteenth-century paintings of Giuseppe Arcimboldo," has painted arresting surreal visages for the giant and his wife, composed of fish, snails, birds, buildings, and other objects. Visually delightful, especially for sophisticated viewers.
(3)
K-3
In these sprightly retellings (including some of the old-fashioned phrasings), bright digital illustrations contain humorous modern-day touches (such as Little Red's hoodie and rain boots and Jack's mother's fancy boots at book's end). Little Red resourcefully bests the wolf with weapons gathered in the forest (daisies make him sneeze, etc.); Jack's story is more traditional, but a dragon and a frog prince make appearances. Review covers these titles: Jack and the Beanstalk and Little Red Riding Hood.
247 pp.
| Philomel
| February, 2017
|
TradeISBN 978-0-399-17651-7$16.99
(2)
YA
Crowe taps into Welsh and British folklore in this story of two boys struggling with grief. Ash is training for the Stag Chase, an annual ritual hunt in which he'll play the part of the quarry, and former best-friend Mark one of the hound boys who chases him. The boys' pain, the drought-blighted land, and the imagery of Bone Jack combine with increasing intensity.
Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
January, 2017
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Edwardian Taylor.
In this metafictional fairy-tale retelling, the narrator pushes reluctant hero Jack to follow the prescribed story line, but young Jack--via speech balloons--keeps highlighting the plot's ridiculousness. Their playful banter ends with Jack refusing to follow the narrator's ending and instead opening up a beans restaurant with the giant. Taylor's cartoony digital illustrations enhance the humor and feature lots of recognizable fairy-tale characters.
40 pp.
| Scholastic/Orchard
| July, 2017
|
TradeISBN 978-0-545-91431-4$17.99
(2)
K-3
In this twist on the traditional tale, Jack's magic beanstalk produces enough beans to keep the whole town fed, but everyone soon grows bored with the monotonous diet. Jack climbs the beanstalk and discovers that he and the giant have the same culinary complaint: "NO MORE BEANS!" The illustrations exaggerate the storybook setting and its characters for comedic effect, and sly surprises appear throughout.
Reviewer: Julie Roach
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
September, 2017
(4)
4-6
Far Out Fairy Tales series.
Illustrated by
Omar Lozano.
Sixth grader Victoria Torres's aspirations and her reality don't usually align. In these volumes, she's cast as Friar Laurence, not Juliet, in Romeo and Juliet (Drama); and she refuses to engage in dirty politics during class elections and might have to accept a lesser office (President). Believable ethical situations and a thoughtful heroine add appeal to otherwise pat middle-school fare. Activities appended. Glos. Review covers the following Victoria Torres, Unfortunately Average titles: So Much Drama and Vicka for President.
(4)
K-3
My First Fairy Tales series.
Illustrated by
Mark Chambers.
These standard retellings are mostly traditional with the expected twists and tangles. Only "Jack" is changed: Jack makes one trip up the beanstalk instead of three, which robs this version of suspenseful buildup and richness. The cartoon illustrations, featuring googly-eyed characters, match the light tone of the texts. Glossy, thick, sturdy paper will stand up to many readings. No sources are provided. Review covers these My First Fairy Tales titles: Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, and The Three Billy Goats Gruff.
296 pp.
| Knopf
| April, 2015
|
TradeISBN 978-0-385-75579-5$16.99
|
LibraryISBN 978-0-385-75580-1$19.99
|
EbookISBN 978-0-385-75581-8
(3)
4-6
Dirt is raining from the sky, but it's no weird weather phenomenon. Giants have come and stolen half of Jack's town. When he gets to the giant world, Jack will have to brave everything from a jumbo toad to a gold-obsessed king to rescue his father. Shurtliff (Rump) once again uses her fertile imagination to add unforgettable new details to a well-loved classic.
32 pp.
| Putnam
| April, 2014
|
TradeISBN 978-0-399-24767-5$16.99
(1)
K-3
Illustrated by
Susan Guevara.
Little Red rides an ATV to deliver la canasta (basket) to her abuela in this hip version of the traditional tale. Liberally sprinkled with Spanish words and phrases, the rhyming text is fresh and funny. Just as clever as the quirky text are the watercolor, ink, and gouache illustrations that contain plenty of humor and multiple layers of meaning. Glos.
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
William Joyce
&
Kenny Callicutt.
The story of "Jack and the Beanstalk" gets a quirky update in this hefty picture book, wherein Jack traces a drought in the kingdom to a young giant's prolonged bath time. Joyce's rhythmic cadence is perfectly complemented by epic multimedia art, which combines realistically rendered backgrounds and objects with doll-like characters to create an inviting fairy-tale world.
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Liz Pichon.
This cheerful but slight spin on a classic tale reimagines Jack squandering his family's dwindling money on a big bag of glittering jelly beans. Descriptions of jelly bean feasts may appeal to sweet-tooth readers, but the story offers little new substance. Still, kids will enjoy ogling the eye-popping, rainbow-hued illustrations in which Pichon sweetly captures the familiar characters.
32 pp.
| Farrar/Ferguson
| March, 2013
|
TradeISBN 978-0-374-39899-6$16.99
(2)
K-3
Illustrated by
Henry Cole.
When red-haired Nelly May heads up the hill in search of employment with Lord Pinkwinkle, the requirements of the job are to memorize his eccentric names for things: water is "rivertrickle," boots are "stompinwhackers," etc. DeFelice and Cole do a fine job of amending an absurdist English folktale; Cole's illustrations don't try to be too clever, and forefronted action makes it perfect for storytime.
Reviewer: Sarah Ellis
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
March, 2013
(3)
K-3
Folk Tale Classic series.
These four books appear in uniform paper-over-board editions. Galdone was a refreshingly modest illustrator: his retellings are straightforward and his unassumingly loose-lined, color-separated pictures provide just enough embellishment. Plenty of white space gives the stories all the room they need. Review covers these Folk Tale Classic titles: Cinderella, Henny Penny, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Rumpelstiltskin.
329 pp.
| Scholastic
| May, 2013
|
TradeISBN 978-0-545-46426-0$18.99
(4)
YA
After her mother's death, trailer-dwelling, average-looking Becky meets iconic fashion designer Tom Kelly, who magically transforms her into Rebecca, the most beautiful woman who ever lived. Becky-as-Rebecca becomes a model, actress, and international woman of mystery, and falls for the prince of England. The humor occasionally feels forced, but the satire's sheer outrageousness--and dependence on profanity--makes it wickedly entertaining.
(4)
4-6
Twicetold Tales series.
Illustrated by
Michelle Lamoreaux.
Cassie features a hungry boy named Caleb Woolf, a lost hoodie, and a revenge plan that almost ends in murder. In Home, Jack trades his bike for magic beans and ends up imprisoned by a rich, evil man. These dark re-imagined traditional tales are straightforwardly told. The cold graphic novel–style illustrations reflect the narrative tone. Notes on the source tales are appended. Review covers these Twicetold Tales titles: Cassie and the Woolf and A Home in the Sky.
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Célia Chauffrey.
This retelling is lightweight but benign. Don removes much of the suspense from the story, and even the ending--which includes the traditional cutting open of the wolf and sewing him up with rocks inside--seems harmless. The tension comes from the unusual perspectives in Chauffrey's striking acrylic paintings with scarlet accents, curvaceous lines, and homey details. A CD of the story is included.
296 pp.
| Farrar
| February, 2012
|
TradeISBN 978-0-374-36475-5$16.99
(3)
YA
Felicita, a privileged, sheltered member of the magical elite of Pelimburg, can't face an arranged marriage, so she fakes her own death and runs away into the anonymity of the city--where her assumptions about class are challenged. Hellisen's fantasy is peopled by creatures of British folklore along with those of contemporary teen romance (vampires). There's considerable invention in this seaside fantasy.
32 pp.
| Candlewick/Templar
| July, 2012
|
TradeISBN 978-0-7636-5563-1$15.99
(4)
K-3
When a new overpass means fewer customers for their food-truck business, Jack's mom sends the boy to buy coffee beans ("Everybody likes a good cup of coffee"); what happens next in this well-told revision to a classic fairy tale is disappointingly bereft of conflict. Meanwhile, the digitally rendered art is stunning, offering surreal dreamscapes set in circa-1950s America.
32 pp.
| Holt/Ottaviano
| July, 2011
|
TradeISBN 978-0-8050-8765-9$16.99
(2)
PS
As in other versions of the folktale, Jack gets paid in magic beans. In this modern interpretation, he lives in the city and wears shorts and sandals. Crews uses photographs and Adobe Photoshop to create pictures where a real child seems to climb a real beanstalk. There's an interesting twist ending, and children may be able to envision themselves as brave beanstalk climbers.