Jack and the Beanstalk

by Paul Galdone

A verse version of the tale first published in England in 1807.

Genres: Picture Books, Fairy Tales, Childrens, Classics, Folklore, Fiction, 1st Grade

32 pages, Paperback

First published May 19, 1975

About the author

Paul Galdone (1907 - November 7, 1986) was a children's literature author and illustrator. He was born in Budapest and he emigrated to the United States in 1921. He studied art at the Art Student's League and New York School for Industrial Design. He served for the US Army during world War II.

He illustrated nearly all of Eve Titus' books including the Basil of Baker Street series which was translated to the screen in the animated Disney film, The Great Mouse Detective.

Galdone and Titus were nominated for Caldecott Medals for Anatole (1957) and Anatole and the Cat (1958). The titles were later named Caldecott Honor books in 1971.

He died of a heart attack in Nyack, New York. He was posthumously awarded the 1996 Kerlan Award for his contribution to children's literature. His retellings of classic tales like "The Little Red Hen" or "Three Billy Goats Gruff" have become staples.

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite the traditional story that I know, but told in a rhyme. It had some of the key bean-related aspects and ascending the beanstalk, but Jack handled things in more of a violent way with the giant and ended up married to a young lass. All in all, Neo thought it funny. He liked all the parts of the story, but could have done without the killing. Funny side note: we were carving an gutting a pumpkin (as Hallowe'en is a few days away). Neo picked up a seed and asked if he could plant it. "If Jack gets a beanstalk, I want a pumpkin one!"

[Saffron Moon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Previously published by the Seabury Press titled “The History of Mother Twaddle and the Marvelous Achievements of Her Son, Jack”. This retelling is not the more popularized version with the harp and golden goose, but is adapted from Benjamin Tabart’s 1807 tale told in verse. Paul Galdone’s artwork as usual brings delightful charm and life to the tale.

[Spencer Gold · Rating 4 out of 5]

This version of Jack and the Beanstalk is different from the one I read as a child. I don't remember this story being so violent, but I liked this version better, which I believe is closer to the original. I felt Galdone's drawings fit in perfect with following the 1807 tale of Jack and the Beanstalk. I liked how he had a lot of white space on the pages where he is climbing the beanstalk or near the giant to help exaggerate how much bigger things were. I like the simple expressions that all the characters had. I felt that went along with the simpletion nature of characters that were expressed in the text. Galdone really mixed text and illustrations together perfectly. I liked that he kept Olde English words in the story , it helped give the book that old classic feeling.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fractured story of Jack and the Beanstalk. The pictures are simple and engaging. It was interesting and easy to read in the rhyming patter that the author wrote it in. In this story Jack had a similar adventure to the original Jack and the beanstalk, and ended up showing his mother that great things could come from the unexpected.

[Dianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've never read this version before! It's quite different and Jack gets a much better deal here. It's also in verse.

[AMY · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really did not like this version baded on the History of Old Mother Twaddle and the Marvelous Achievements of Her Son Jack from 1807. It is a rhyming story but uses antiquated words and phrasing. Jack takes a coin to market to buy a goose for his mom, but gets one magic bean instead. Mom is mad and punishes him by slapping both of his hands and gives him a scolding. Jack plants the bean and it grows overnight up to the sky. He meets a "damsel" who hesitates letting him inside the house for fear the giant living there will eat him. She reluctantly hides Jack. The giant roars he smells "the breath of an Englishman" and will grind his bones to make bread. The damsel says the giant should first drink some wine and then "dine on that dainty." The giant gets so drunk he passes out. While he's on the floor Jack "snatched a large knife and chopped off his head," killing him. His mom comes up and dines with Jack and the damsel on a goose and wine. He makes everything right for his mom. Later Jack sends for the parson so he can marry the damsel. They all dance a jig around the bean at the end. What disturbs me is: 1. Jack's mom is pictured combing his hair and getting him ready - when he is taller than his mom - too old for that. 2. Chopping off the giant's head - that is not found anywhere else in folktales of Jack that I have ever read. 3. The main story elements are so different from the original that I think the title should have been completely different. I did not like it. It was too gruesome and hard to read aloud. Skip it!

[Rachel Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Traditional Literature
Grade Level: 2

This book tells the story of Jack and the Beanstalk in a very clear way. The illustrations are nice and it is easy to follow. There is a graphic part (when Jack cuts the giants head off), but the illustrations do not get graphic. This would be a good version of the story to read aloud in a classroom setting.

[Emily Schlotzhauer · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book would not be suitable for younger grades. There are many elements that I would deem inappropriate for children. Also, the vocabulary in this version is confusing, even to an adult. Children would have a hard time understanding what is happening in this book because the terms are too far above their level. Overall, I would not recommend this version of Jack and the Beanstalk.

[AnnieM · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve never really liked Jack and the Beanstalk. Like others I don’t remember this story but not because of the violence. I don’t remember the mother finding a coin. Jack has always gone to sell a cow. I liked the rhyme. Who doesn’t love a rhyming story?

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

September 2017 - not my favorite Galdone - I think I prefer the Nina Crews version.

[Nicki · Rating 1 out of 5]

Where was the poor cow that Jack traded away, or the golden harp or goose that layed the golden eggs?

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastically lyrical and beautifully illustrated. I wanted to read it again and again and they wanted to listen!

-Mom

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't prefer this version of the Jack and the Beanstalk story. Its a rhyming version that feels scant on details

[Alicia Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

For: fairy tale/folklore fans; readers looking for a classic retelling that is accessible for young readers.

Possible red flags: scolding; murder; death.

[Sadie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This version is in rhyme. Not my favorite Jack and the Beanstalk picture book but worth reading because it had a slightly different take compared to other ones.

[Rick Christiansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holy shit! Jack chops off the Giant's head while he is asleep? How do I not remember that detail?? This is awesome!

[Sky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this at an event for a group of children and their parents. It's cute how it tells the story in rhyme.

[Nicole Fanning · Rating 5 out of 5]

We have yet to meet a Galdone we haven’t liked. All of his works are great and this is no exception. We love that this version is told in verse.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great rhyming version. My 3.5 year old is obsessed with this book lately and has me read it multiple times a day.

[Ashley Polansky]

Title: Jack and the Bean Stalk
Author: Paul Galdone
Illustrator: Paul Galdone
Genre: European Folktale
Theme(s): Rhyming, family, treasure
Opening line/sentence:
As Old Mother Twaddle
Was sweeping her floor,
She found a new sixpence
Under the door.
Brief Book Summary: This book is about a mother and her son (Jack). His mother wants him to buy her a goose. Instead he buys a bean and after planting it, it becomes a huge beanstalk where Jack was able to climb up. He found a house where a damsel and a giant live. The giant wanted to eat Jack for dinner so Jack killed him. He brought his mother up to the house treated her to a nice dinner, and ended up marrying the damsel.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: Children's Literature - Carrie Hane Hung
Although Old Mother Twaddle finds a sixpence and sends her son out to buy a tasty goose, Jack (her son) returns instead with a bean. Galdone retells, in verse, the classic folk tale of Jack and the Beanstalk which is adapted from The History of Mother Twaddle and the Marvelous Achievements of Her Son Jack. In Galdone's version, Jack climbs up the stalk that grew from the bean and meets the maid of a large home. The maid asks the Jack to leave because the giant who owns the home will eat Jack. However, Jack stays and she hides him in the house. Upon his return home, the giant notices Jack's presence and threatens to make bread by grinding Jack's bones. The maid tries to rescue Jack by encouraging the giant to drink some wine; the giant imbibes the strong drink that causes him to fall asleep. Jack kills the giant by beheading him. Jack calls for his mother to dine at the late giant's home and he marries the maid. The pictures are colorful and support the plot. Galdone's style of illustration will be recognized by those readers familiar with his books that retell numerous other folk tales and fairy tales. Although many original folk tales tend to be violent, some children may be bothered by how the giant meets his demise in this story. Reviewer: Carrie Hane Hung

Professional Recommendation/Review #2: From the Publisher
"Here is a verse version, first published in England in 1807, of the well-known Jack and the Beanstalk. The jolly pictures by Galdone can stand up to his other fine creations and hold their own."-Publisher's Weekly
"The lively pictures provide just the right accompaniment; the story begins and ends with scenes of folksy domesticity while the suitably loutish monster, roaring and tipping, overspreads several pages in between."- The Horn Book

Response to Two Professional Reviews: In both reviews they discuss Galdone’s use of illustration. They spoke about how the illustration that he used is similar to what he used in other pieces. I think this is very common throughout illustrators to use the same style in multiple books.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: There were two conflicts in this story. The first was when Jack brought home a bean instead of a goose, his mother was upset with him. The second was when Jack was in the house with the Giant and the Giant wanted to eat him. The climax of the story was when Jack killed the Giant by cutting off his head in his sleep.
Consideration of Instructional Application: For this story, I think it would be really helpful to have a felt board up while reading this book aloud. As different events occur, the teacher can put up on the felt the different scenes. For example, there could be cut out felt pieces of a bean, a bean stalk, a goose, a monster, Jack, the damsel, the mother, the house, etc. I think this would help children get a better visual of what is happening, and this can also teach them sequence, of what is happening first, second, third, etc.

[Jon-henry Kubej]

This is a story about a boy Jack and his mother. They are desperately in need of money, so Jack was sent off by his mother to sell their cow for a good price. He ends up selling the cow for some "magic beans". This really upset his mother and in a fit of rage she threw the beans out the window and began to scold Jack for his decision.
The next morning Jack finds that the stalk grew into the clouds! It was huge! Jack decided to climb the beanstalk where he met a woman who knew his father. She told him bout a giant who killed his father that lives up in the clouds. If Jack punishes the giant, this women promises that Jack and his mother will live happy.
Jack ends up stealing precious valuables that his mother and him live off of for a few years. Once his money ran out, he climbed back up the stalk. This time the giant wakes and chases after Jack. Jack ends up cutting down the beanstalk which killed the giant. Jack and his mother lived happily ever after.
Great book for children, the adventures Jack went on were a lot of fun. I also really enjoyed the pictures in the book.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not your father’s “Jack and the Beanstalk.” Adapted and retold in verse from The History of Mother Twaddle and the Marvelous Achievements of Her Son Jack, this is a departure from the golden harps and eggs and bartered cow to which we are accustomed. The 1807 British tale is decidedly more violent: Jack beheads the giant with a knife. Jack does plant a single bean and it grows into a giant stalk. But at the top is not the giant’s wife but a maid that hides Jack from the giant and whom he eventually marries. Even the familiar “Fee-fi-fo-fum refrain is altered and uttered only once. There is much different here, and it is not for the faint of heart. It would be an excellent example to compare and contrast for older readers and a discussion starter for violence in fairy tales. The illustrations are outstanding and serve to show the enormity of the giant and the time period of the tale. However, the archaic language and British idioms may leave many readers scratching their heads. Order if you need additions to your fairy tale collection.

[Lenae Haley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about boy, Jack, that was sent to the market by his mother with a coin she found to buy a goose. When he went to the market he bought a bean plant instead. The person that sold it to him said it would grow oh so tall. When he got home his mother wasn't happy with him. The next morning the bean plant had grown so big. Jack climbed the beanstalk and met a damsel that warned him of the giant that lives in the beanstalk. The rest of the story is about what happens between Jack, the damsel, and the giant.

I like this version of it, but it isn't the one I remember being read to me. The story was good except it might be too violent for younger kids. In the end it mentions cutting off a head. I don't know if I would read this aloud to younger kids.

This book could be used to teach a science project. I think it would be fun to have classroom plants and watch them grow into adult plants.

[Cianna Walters]

I chose this book as my traditional option, which I am very pleased with my decision of selecting it because once I finished reading it I realized I did not remember the story being like this at all. I find it funny how my 20-year-old self is kind of shocked by the killing of the giant by chopping his head off, although, it obviously didn't phase my child self-considering I didn't even remember it. The rhyming pattern really drew my attention and made the book flow better. It is interesting to see the mom's disappointed when Jack first brought the beans home, vs. her excitement towards the end of the book once she realizes they really were magical. I personally wasn't taken away by the illustrations but they did a good job representing the message of the book as a whole. Appropriate for preschool and up.

[Taya · Rating 2 out of 5]

This piece was extremely consistent the whole way through with the appearance of both the text and the pictures. Each page had one side with the text centered and the first letter done in fancy script. The other side contained the picture to go along with each particular scene. This format was true for every page except the two where the giant spilled over onto the second page. I really thought this was effective for conveying the size difference between the giant and the other characters. This book contained some information on the front end page that discussed the origins of the story and when it had first been published. I really appreciated that the author put this in at the beginning of the work to prepare the reader for the setting of the story.

[babyhippoface · Rating 2 out of 5]

What? 2 stars for Paul Galdone?? Blasphemy. The thing is, I'm stumped. Every Paul Galdone version of a classic fairy tale I have ever read stays close to the most well-known version, except this one.

Jack chops off the giant's head with a knife the first time he falls asleep? What? No trading the cow? No trips up and down the beanstalk? No bag of gold? No singing harp? No goose that lays the golden eggs? What? Plus, this one rhymes. What's that about? I've never known Paul to rhyme!

Sorry, Paul, but I'm not a fan of this version. I'll stick with the traditional, familiar tale I grew up hearing.

[Leslie Rendon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is about a boy named Jack who buys magical beans instead of the goose his mother asked for. After he plants it becomes a huge beanstalk. He climbs it and finds a giant that wants to eat him. I noticed this book had a lot of white space which was nice because it served to help to give an illusion. This version is a little different from the one I read in my elementary days because Jack does not chop off the Giants head off. There is more rhyming pattern and I think the style is great! I would find this suitable for children grades 3rd to 5th.
#Magical #Fiction #rhymes

[Alexis Fiore · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jack and the Beanstalk has always been one of my favorite folk tales. Paul Galdone told the story from the 1807 London version and I was not very fond of it. There was a girl living with giant, Jack killed the giant, and then he married the girl who was living with the giant. I would prefer to read the more known version that I was told as a child.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a paper-over-board reissue of "The History of Mother Twaddle and The Marvelous Achievements of Her Son Jack" (1974) by Paul Galdone. The verse is straightforward and Galdone's classic illustrations are simple and uncluttered, allowing ample white space. An affordable option for libraries needing to update their folktale/fairytale collections.

[Katie Nanney · Rating 2 out of 5]

This version of Jack and the Beanstalk was different because it was all done in rhyme. I'm not sure how I felt about it because I wasn't a huge fan of the artwork and the rhymes weren't all that creative. I can see a young child reading it and maybe using it to introduce poetry, but other than that, I really don't think I would ever use it or buy it.