Olive

by Jed Alexander

Who is the real giant in this wordless retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk? Perspective is everything in this visual exploration of what big and small can mean. Olive, the little girl climbing the beanstalk, is small in comparison to the giant who lives in the clouds. Once back on earth, however, she discovers she's a giant in her own way.

Genres: Picture Books, Fantasy, Fairy Tales, Childrens, Kids

32 pages, Hardcover

Published October 3, 2023

About the author

Jed Alexander is an author and illustrator who has done work for a variety of publications, including Cricket Magazine and SpongeBob Comics. He's the author of three critically acclaimed wordless picture books, Red, and Gold and Olive. His recent release is the Middle Grade Novel, The Black Market. He lives in Davis California with his wife and best friend in the world, Regina.

Reviews

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun wordless retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk that plays with perspective and visual literacy skills. Like Jed Alexander's other books in this series, this wordless picture book is also told in black and white and highlights of the titular color.

[Jessica Kluthe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book plays with readers’ perceptions — first, and perhaps most obviously, with a fresh, wordless version of the well-known folktale with roots into the 1700s.

Through detailed thin-lined drawings unified through a single olive-toned colour that sweeps through the story, we watch a young girl climb a very tall, knotty tree. At the top, a gentle giant who ties a strand of her hair around the girl’s waist as a belt, and tucks her in for a nap with a leaf… but, wait, is the girl tiny? The leaf giant?

The olive before the young girl is bigger than a watermelon, a full meal! Is the olive giant? The girl teeny? But wait, when she waves goodbye to the giant and climbs back down the tree, she looks down into the grass and flowers, to find a mouse she could hold in her hand — and the scale seems typical again. And yet, imagine how things feel for the mouse?

The young reader will have flipped the book horizontally and vertically, to have matched the illustrations, as they worked through the story, so by the end, their reading experience would have matched the content of the story—leaving them a bit out of sorts!

The story that has the reader questioning what is big and what is little, reminds me, a bit, of the wonder of nature and how even the tiniest thing can almost bowl you over—are we seeing the natural world through a child’s perspective?

What a cool, smart book.

I really appreciated the casual East-Asian representation here with both the girl and the giant. Another aspect I really appreciated was just how beautifully depicted nature is—from the roots of the tree to the clouds the giant is towering over.

Thank you to Creston Books and Pub Spotlight for this review copy.

[Stephanie Bange · Rating 5 out of 5]

Olive is the third wordless book in the Fairy-Tale Color Collection, joining Red and Gold. Thanks to Creston Books for the review copy.

When a bird drops a tiny olive pit in the ground, a giant olive tree springs forth overnight. When a young girl goes outside to play the next day, she climbs the tree and discovers a giant woman standing on the clouds above the tree. She picks up the girl and offers her an olive to eat. The duo set off to do some cloud-hopping until the girl is swept off her shoulder. The giantess comes up with a safe solution for the girl as they cloud dance away the rest of the day. The next morning, the giantess bids her friend goodbye and the girl returns home to smell the irises growing at the base of the tree. There, she spies a tiny mouse and they go off dancing in the countryside.

Alexander literally turns this fractured fairy tale on its side, as the reader will want to turn the book 45 degrees to view the story. The use of multiple visual perspectives/points of view is so strong and flow well throughout the tale. The B&W illustrations are filled with shades of olive green to give depth and add life.

This fresh take on the "Jack & the Beanstalk" story is welcomed for its creativity, positive message, and sheer joy. This book offers an excellent writing exercise for kids to retell the story using their words to tell it.

Highly Recommended for PreSchool-grade 2.

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wordless picture book follows a little child who climbs up a huge tree, and upon reaching the top, befriends a giant in the clouds. The giant feeds the child and they dance together. The next day the child climbs back down the tree and goes home. They see a tiny mouse in the garden, and think how they must look like a giant to the mouse.

I liked the artwork in this book! Everything is in shades of black, white, gray, and olive. The olive color really draws your attention. The art is cleverly designed to bring forward the emotions of the story. In the middle of the book, we have to turn the book to be lengthwise, to emphasize the massive size of the giant's tall world. But when the child returns to their own home, the book must be turned horizontal again.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wordless reimagining of Jack and the Beanstalk, only featuring a little girl, a giant olive tree, and a friendly giant who gives Olive a very nice visit to the giant world.

It is very rare to find a kind version of the Jack and the Beanstalk tale. This giant is a great hostess, she cares for Olive, and gives her a wonderful visit to the giant world. The final scene seems to imply either that the experience inspires Olive to be kind to little creatures she may appear to be a giant to, or that she imagined the whole thing? This fractured fairytale also stands out in that both Olive and the giant are portrayed as people of Asian descent, and there isn’t a word in the whole book except the title. I just love Jed Alexander’s illustrations.

[Carolyn Watson-Dubisch · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bird drops a seed and a massive tree grows up into the sky. A curious little girl begins to climb. Higher, and higher to the clouds. To a towering giant who scoops her up and befriends her. The magic of friendship across seemingly impossible differences is beautifully portrayed in this wordless retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk. The art is stunning and what I love about wordless books is the way they reach children who are struggling to read, children who don't read yet but can follow the pictures and children who speak any language. Such a beautiful book highly recommended.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wordless re-imagining of Jack and the Beanstalk. Really nice illustrations and I like the one color addition (which obviously pairs nicely with Alexander's other fairy tale re-imaginings Red and Gold.

[Jared White · Rating 4 out of 5]

A whimsical and fun reimagining of Jack and the Bean Stalk (with a much friendlier giant). It's not too often that I put a book both on my "adorable" shelf AND "beautiful" shelf, but this one made it onto both. A lovely wordless picture book.

For those brave enough to use wordless picture books in storytime, I think this could work well with the preschool through the elementary crowd.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another version of Jack and the beanstalk, except this time it's an Asian girl and an olive tree.The giant that the little girl meets is also Asian and is actually kind. The entire book is wordless and the ending puts a twist to the story with the little girl then becoming a "giant" in her own regard.

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wordless book is about perspective; what we 'see' as we encounter others. I think it would be a very good book for children who are starting to notice the larger world; a world that may seem big and overwhelming at times. The art is very expressive and really adds perspective to the story.

[Aolund · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a whimsical, wordless Jack and the Beanstalk retelling!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weird, whimsical, and lovely. Wordless picture books continue to be my fave.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read with my father who has dementia. The images and visual Easter eggs resonated with him and he was so present. This series of books will hold that special memory for me every time I pick them up.

[Cara Byrne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very clever, wordless take on the Jack in the Beanstalk tale that helps the reader gain perspective and a new sense of how their body occupies different spaces.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wordless

[Rebecca Caufman]

It is important to read the summary before reading this book. It will make so much more sense.

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wordless book with a Jack in the Beanstslk vibe. Nice illustrations.

[Danielle Robertson Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how the ending really shows a different perspective from the rest of the book. This book has no words so my daughter loves to "read" this by herself.

[Cristina Quattrone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great wordless book and super interesting fracture

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book for children— wordless and perfect for all ages. However, this recommendation is for adults. Olive arrived on a difficult day for me, and the imagery was so cathartic that it made me cry. Who doesn’t need to be picked up by a benevolent giant sometimes? I, a grown-ass adult, take Olive out to read on days that I feel adrift to feel just a little bit more seen, and a bit more capable of seeing others. An absolute treat every time.

[Tori Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't love this one, and felt it had the least to do with the tale of Jack and the Beanstalk than Alexander's other tales do with their respective fairy tales.