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Kate and the Beanstalk
Mary Pope Osborne and Giselle Potter’s funny, magical retelling of a favorite fairy tale featuring Kate, a new and inspiring heroine.
Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum’un,
I smell the blood of an Englishwoman.
Be she alive or be she dead,
I'll grind her bones to make my bread.
Readers will cheer on the resourceful, gutsy Kate as she outsmarts the famously greedy giant.
Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum’un,
I smell the blood of an Englishwoman.
Be she alive or be she dead,
I'll grind her bones to make my bread.
Readers will cheer on the resourceful, gutsy Kate as she outsmarts the famously greedy giant.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2000
8 people are currently reading
379 people want to read
About the author
Mary Pope Osborne
1,095 books2,593 followersMary Pope Osborne is an American author of children's books and audiobook narrator. She is best known as the author of the Magic Tree House series, which as of 2017 sold more than 134 million copies worldwide. Both the series and Osborne have won awards, including for Osborne's charitable efforts at promoting children's literacy. One of four children, Osborne moved around in her childhood before attending the University of North Carolina. Following college, Osborne traveled before moving to New York City. She somewhat spontaneously began to write, and her first book was published in 1982. She went on to write a variety of other children's and young adult books before starting the Magic Tree House series in 1992. Osborne's sister Natalie Pope Boyce has written several compendium books to the Magic Tree House series, sometimes with Osborne's husband Will Osborne.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
July 25, 2021
I am sure many of you remember Jack and his time up the beanstalk in the giant’s house in the clouds. Kate is the antithesis of Jack: she is smart; she is energetic; she is empathetic. This is a far better tale than the original.
Our little girls (ages 4 and 7) immediately found this delightful. They have asked that it be read to them over and over again (sometimes more than once in a day).
Got to go with the girls on this one!
Our little girls (ages 4 and 7) immediately found this delightful. They have asked that it be read to them over and over again (sometimes more than once in a day).
Got to go with the girls on this one!
August 11, 2009
An enjoyable retelling of "Jack and the Beanstalk" this time with a heroine. It's not an annoyingly PC version, just a "Kate" rather than a "Jack" This is based on a different version of the tale than the one I grew up with, so I liked the "surprise" ending! :-) I probably would have given this more stars if I'd liked the illustrations better--as it was, they kind of ruined the mood of the story, but that is just personal taste.
February 17, 2011
This feminist twist on the traditional tale of Jack and the Beanstalk really resonanted with me. I think this would so excellent to be included in a classroom for girls, and boys, to experience the idea that yes, girls can be heroines, even against great odds.
In this version, written by Mary Pope Obsorne and illustrated by Gisele Potter in sort of a Picasso way (I can't remember what period of his artistic life), the opening endpages lead you right to the heart of the story - the castle.
How she disguises herself and the drawings that show those are just delightful! The way the story is laid out in text is really strong and different from the original version: the words become alive - i.e. see the pages each time Jane reaches the castle.
I think this would be a great educational tool for younger grades, so that the students hear more than one possibility. But as a writing, illustrating, assignment, it could mentor the older students to create their own version and story line: the only rule being that they have to stay within the basic lines of the tale. That could be a really rich creative avenue! all ages.
In this version, written by Mary Pope Obsorne and illustrated by Gisele Potter in sort of a Picasso way (I can't remember what period of his artistic life), the opening endpages lead you right to the heart of the story - the castle.
How she disguises herself and the drawings that show those are just delightful! The way the story is laid out in text is really strong and different from the original version: the words become alive - i.e. see the pages each time Jane reaches the castle.
I think this would be a great educational tool for younger grades, so that the students hear more than one possibility. But as a writing, illustrating, assignment, it could mentor the older students to create their own version and story line: the only rule being that they have to stay within the basic lines of the tale. That could be a really rich creative avenue! all ages.
October 4, 2009
“Fee, Fi, Fo, Fu’un, I smell the blood of an Englishwoman…” are the words bellowed by the giant each time Kate is present. As in the original story with Jack, brave Kate flees the giant’s castle with a hen, a bag of gold coins and a singing harp. With great courage, she chops down the beanstalk just in time. The end of the story brings a very pleasing resolution, as a fairy magically arrives and we find out the identity of Kate’s father, who had lived in the castle, was the original owner of the hen, coins, and harp, and had been killed by the giant. The fairy escorts Kate and her mother into the heavens to live once again in the beautiful castle. Kate’s kindness to a beggar and old woman as well as her bravery, make her a worthy role model for today’s young female readers. The lovely illustrations, which beautifully show the perspective of height and distance, are interspersed with text throughout, adding greatly to the visual interest of the story. The suspense combined with familiarity would make this an ideal read aloud book.
December 4, 2018
My 3-year-old nephew did not like this story, nor did I. (He told me he didn't want to read the book any more.) A modern retelling has to be REALLY good before I like it. Some of my complaints about this version are
• The art. The daughter looks like a woman; this confused my nephew. All of the faces are rather unpleasant. And we never get much of a sense of place. The giant doesn't feel all that large until the end when he's dead on the ground. Maybe I'm a grump, but there isn't much to recommend this art.
• The ending is all wrong. We don't need a fairy in a carriage drawn by two peacocks. But we did need to see closure with the hen that laid the golden eggs, the bag of coins, and the magic harp. Especially the magic harp! That's always been an object of fascination.
• Home should feel good, but it doesn't. The giant's castle needs to feel like a giant's castle, but it doesn't. It's just a variation of Disney's Cinderella castle.
This was a disappointment. I'll follow my nephew's advise and donate it. (Or should I toss it?)
• The art. The daughter looks like a woman; this confused my nephew. All of the faces are rather unpleasant. And we never get much of a sense of place. The giant doesn't feel all that large until the end when he's dead on the ground. Maybe I'm a grump, but there isn't much to recommend this art.
• The ending is all wrong. We don't need a fairy in a carriage drawn by two peacocks. But we did need to see closure with the hen that laid the golden eggs, the bag of coins, and the magic harp. Especially the magic harp! That's always been an object of fascination.
• Home should feel good, but it doesn't. The giant's castle needs to feel like a giant's castle, but it doesn't. It's just a variation of Disney's Cinderella castle.
This was a disappointment. I'll follow my nephew's advise and donate it. (Or should I toss it?)
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September 16, 2015Surprisingly this book stood fairly true to the story that I grew up knowing of "Jack and the Beanstalk". Instead of Jack being the main character, it was a girl named Kate. However, the ending had a fun twist to it. The castle to where the beanstalk led to once belonged to a noble knight and his wife. They had an infant, but the noble knight was killed by the giant, and the wife and her child had to live below. In the end we discover that Kate was the infant and her mother was the wife to noble knight. Of course, there is a happy ending when the giant dies, but again this book had a bit of unique twist to it. Also, the author added another twist by including a fairy who tested Kate to see if she was worthy of her inheritance. The book gives this feel of a princess story, but without the prince. I think kids would enjoy the book, but I wasn't to big of fan of the illustrations. I find it fun to look for childhood stories and read different endings.
May 19, 2011
Fractured version with Kate instead of Jack plus a reason to steal from the giant.
It's OK. A couple parts popped up without any transition (the lady giant's appearance, for example) and I don't get why the giant kept pulling out precious items when thieving was rampant in his house, nor why he would brag about something he stole years before. After ten years, even a giant would have something else to say, right? (Am I wrong here? Is this covered in the benefit of the doubt we give folktales?)
Also
It's OK. A couple parts popped up without any transition (the lady giant's appearance, for example) and I don't get why the giant kept pulling out precious items when thieving was rampant in his house, nor why he would brag about something he stole years before. After ten years, even a giant would have something else to say, right? (Am I wrong here? Is this covered in the benefit of the doubt we give folktales?)
Also
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March 1, 2016Title: Kate and the Beanstalk
Author: Mary Pope Osborne
Illustrator: Giselle Potter
Genre: Non-European Folktale
Theme(s): Doing the right thing
Opening line/sentence: Long ago, a girl named Kate lived with her mother in a humble cottage.
Brief Book Summary: A unique twist on Jack and the Beanstalk, where the main character is a young, resourceful girl named Kate who puts others before herself. Kate ends up outwitting a giant and his wife by stealing three treasures from them. She later finds out theses treasures rightfully belonged to her and her mother and by stealing them and defeating the giant, she avenged her father’s death.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: Ilene Cooper (Booklist, Nov. 15, 2000 (Vol. 97, No. 6))
This delightful version of "Jack and the Beanstalk" seamlessly incorporates several new elements while retaining all the story's winning aspects. First and foremost, of course, is that Jack has metamorphosed into Kate, a plucky girl who climbs the vine without hesitation and cunningly tricks the giant out of his hen, his gold, and his harp. A variation on the plot is Kate's right to the treasure: she is the daughter of a knight the giant has killed. The text is straightforward but punctuated by some delicious dialogue, especially between Kate and the giant's giant housekeeper. The oversize format suits Potter's art very well, allowing full range for huge characters, climbing beanstalks, and raucous action. Using a variety of mediums--pencil, ink, gouache, and watercolor--the illustrations are executed in Potter's signature folk-art style. They are immediate, innovative, and just the right size for story hours. Fee, fi, fo-fun
Professional Recommendation/Review #2: Sharon Salluzzo (Children's Literature)
Much to her mother's great consternation, Kate trades their cow for a few magic beans. Her mother tosses them out the window, and the beanstalk grows high into the sky. When Kate climbs the beanstalk, she meets an old woman who tells her that the castle she sees once belonged to a knight and his wife. Kate agrees to go to the castle and retrieve three precious treasures from the giant. The familiar old tale has been rewritten with a plucky, resourceful heroine and a lively, often humorous, pleasing-to-the-ear text. Potter's perspectives stretch the reader's imagination. The giant is truly a menacing figure. Effective use of line and the soft palette bring out the drama and the wonder of this cleverly retold tale.
Response to Two Professional Reviews: Both professional reviews are impressed by the dialogue and the writing style of this book. They both believe that the story keeps all of the important details/events that happen in the original text, but also does a good job of making Kate and the Beanstalk a whole new experience for the reader. The first reviewer comments on the use of a variety of mediums the illustrator uses such as pencil, ink, and water color and the second reviewer compliments on the effective use of lines and the soft palette in the illustrations.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: Mary Pope Osborne does a notable job of making the main character very likable and very witty, in result, readers are rooting for her to succeed in stealing the treasures. There is also repetition used. Kate has to go up the beanstalk three times in order to get all three treasures, and each time she has to find a new way to trick the giant and his wife.
Consideration of Instructional Application: You can first read Jack and the Beanstalk and then read this book, and have your class compare and contrast the two books. Another way to apply this book is to have the students wrap “magic beans”, aka dried lima beans, in a wet paper and put them in a plastic bag. A plant will start to grow out of the lima beans when placed in sunlight, and the kids can have their own little “beanstalks”.
Author: Mary Pope Osborne
Illustrator: Giselle Potter
Genre: Non-European Folktale
Theme(s): Doing the right thing
Opening line/sentence: Long ago, a girl named Kate lived with her mother in a humble cottage.
Brief Book Summary: A unique twist on Jack and the Beanstalk, where the main character is a young, resourceful girl named Kate who puts others before herself. Kate ends up outwitting a giant and his wife by stealing three treasures from them. She later finds out theses treasures rightfully belonged to her and her mother and by stealing them and defeating the giant, she avenged her father’s death.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: Ilene Cooper (Booklist, Nov. 15, 2000 (Vol. 97, No. 6))
This delightful version of "Jack and the Beanstalk" seamlessly incorporates several new elements while retaining all the story's winning aspects. First and foremost, of course, is that Jack has metamorphosed into Kate, a plucky girl who climbs the vine without hesitation and cunningly tricks the giant out of his hen, his gold, and his harp. A variation on the plot is Kate's right to the treasure: she is the daughter of a knight the giant has killed. The text is straightforward but punctuated by some delicious dialogue, especially between Kate and the giant's giant housekeeper. The oversize format suits Potter's art very well, allowing full range for huge characters, climbing beanstalks, and raucous action. Using a variety of mediums--pencil, ink, gouache, and watercolor--the illustrations are executed in Potter's signature folk-art style. They are immediate, innovative, and just the right size for story hours. Fee, fi, fo-fun
Professional Recommendation/Review #2: Sharon Salluzzo (Children's Literature)
Much to her mother's great consternation, Kate trades their cow for a few magic beans. Her mother tosses them out the window, and the beanstalk grows high into the sky. When Kate climbs the beanstalk, she meets an old woman who tells her that the castle she sees once belonged to a knight and his wife. Kate agrees to go to the castle and retrieve three precious treasures from the giant. The familiar old tale has been rewritten with a plucky, resourceful heroine and a lively, often humorous, pleasing-to-the-ear text. Potter's perspectives stretch the reader's imagination. The giant is truly a menacing figure. Effective use of line and the soft palette bring out the drama and the wonder of this cleverly retold tale.
Response to Two Professional Reviews: Both professional reviews are impressed by the dialogue and the writing style of this book. They both believe that the story keeps all of the important details/events that happen in the original text, but also does a good job of making Kate and the Beanstalk a whole new experience for the reader. The first reviewer comments on the use of a variety of mediums the illustrator uses such as pencil, ink, and water color and the second reviewer compliments on the effective use of lines and the soft palette in the illustrations.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: Mary Pope Osborne does a notable job of making the main character very likable and very witty, in result, readers are rooting for her to succeed in stealing the treasures. There is also repetition used. Kate has to go up the beanstalk three times in order to get all three treasures, and each time she has to find a new way to trick the giant and his wife.
Consideration of Instructional Application: You can first read Jack and the Beanstalk and then read this book, and have your class compare and contrast the two books. Another way to apply this book is to have the students wrap “magic beans”, aka dried lima beans, in a wet paper and put them in a plastic bag. A plant will start to grow out of the lima beans when placed in sunlight, and the kids can have their own little “beanstalks”.
March 15, 2015
Mary Pope Osborne's retelling of Enchanted really caught my attention and had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. Kate was desperate looking for food for her mother and herself. She set out with all they had left, a cow, and traded for some magic beans. The mother is angry at the beans and tossed them out the window, to Kate's surprise, a huge beanstalk grows and she climbs to the top. She meets a woman that tells her about the castle that Kate sees and she tells her that she must steal three items back for the daughter and mother to get their castle back from the mean guy that killed their father and husband. Kate wants to fulfill these duties and is determined to do so. She sneaks in and grabs the first item. She leaves and comes back dressed in disguise for the second item. She then returns a third time to retrieve the third item to almost get caught by the giant. Fortunately she makes it out and she then discovers that her mother and her were the two that the old woman was talking about that had to flee their castle. The ending was perfect to this story because her mother and her aren't starving and depressed anymore. They get their castle back. I really enjoyed this story. My favorite part of the story was when the old woman comes down and informs Kate that her and her mother are the two that own the castle. It made me smile and appreciate this story even more. I would have this story in my classroom library for kindergarten through third graders. I really think they would appreciate the story and excited to read on to find out what is going to happen in the end of the story. I thought that the illustrations were really nice. They were a little cartoonish, but the bright colors made up for this. I like that they were bold and popped off the page. I also like how big the pictures were and how the whole page was used, not just a little corner. The illustrations added nice detail and really made the reader feel like he or she was right there helping Kate retrieve the items. As the reader, you felt yourself pulling for Kate and hoping that she retrieves the items so the mother and daughter could get their castle back. I really enjoyed this story about Kate and the beanstalk.
October 1, 2008
Summary: Kate and her mother are very poor. Kate is one her way to sell their last cow when her bumps into an old woman. Kate exchanges the cow for some magic beans. Her mother is very upset when Kate returns home. She throws the beans out the window. That night, a huge beanstalk grows next to their house. Kate climbs up the stalk and finds an old woman and a castle. The woman tells Kate that the castle belonged to a good knight and his family, but a terrible giant came and killed the knight. His wife and child ran away safely. The woman describes three of the knight's most valuable possessions: a hen that lays golden eggs, a bag of gold coins, and a wondrous harp. Kate enters the castle in search of the objects so that she can return them to their rightful owner. The giant's wife sees Kate and asks for help cooking the giants food. Kate complies. After the giant eats and falls asleep, Kate steals the hen and escapes to her home. She returns to the castle two more times, in disguise, to steal the coins and the harp. While she is escaping with the harp, the giant wakes up and runs after Kate. She climbs down the stalk and cuts it in two, causing the giant to fall to his death. A fairy, who was the old woman, reveals that Kate's father was the good knight. Kate and her mother return to their castle where the giant's wife agrees to cook for them.
Uses: read-aloud (maybe after reading the original Jack and the Beanstalk), independent reading for late-early or transitional readers, recommend to students who like the original, use as exposure to books that incorporate a strong female character
Literary Devices: hyperbole, simile
Social Issues: stealing, murder, good vs. evil, courage, poverty
Other: This is a great spin-off because the main character is a strong female (a great example to show students of literature that incorporates a strong female hero)
Uses: read-aloud (maybe after reading the original Jack and the Beanstalk), independent reading for late-early or transitional readers, recommend to students who like the original, use as exposure to books that incorporate a strong female character
Literary Devices: hyperbole, simile
Social Issues: stealing, murder, good vs. evil, courage, poverty
Other: This is a great spin-off because the main character is a strong female (a great example to show students of literature that incorporates a strong female hero)
October 17, 2011
1. This Picture Book is Traditional Literature (with a twist).
2. This book is the traditional tale of Jack and the Beanstalk with a female addition. As a feminist, this is very excellent for girls to see how they can be just as important in literature as boys are. The significant characters, except one, are all female in this story book. The story does an excellent job of incorporating Kate into Jack's traditional role.
3. critique
a. The adaptation from male to female.
b. The author and illustrator do an amazing job of transferring the traditional Jack and the Beanstalk tale into a role that Kate can fill.
c. The author creates the story on the premise that Kate is responsible for saving herself and her mother from starvation and being poor by selling their only cow. Instead of a man buying the cow for beans, a woman buys the cow. This woman also turns out to be the lady who tells Kate of a Princess and her mother that her cast away from the Castle by the Giant. I do believe, that because this story takes a feminist's turn, it seems to place the only male in the story in the bad guy's position. This clearly shows that females can kick butt just like men can even if they big bad guy is a giant!
4. Curriculum connection: I think this book could be read with the traditional tale of Jack and the Beanstalk to show students how boys and girls are equally as powerful in the fairy tale world as well as in real world. This story, because it is a picture book, is not just limited to elementary school. In fact, I would suggest using it in middle school to show equality among genders when the students are going through a lot of changes to help them understand that everyone is changing.
2. This book is the traditional tale of Jack and the Beanstalk with a female addition. As a feminist, this is very excellent for girls to see how they can be just as important in literature as boys are. The significant characters, except one, are all female in this story book. The story does an excellent job of incorporating Kate into Jack's traditional role.
3. critique
a. The adaptation from male to female.
b. The author and illustrator do an amazing job of transferring the traditional Jack and the Beanstalk tale into a role that Kate can fill.
c. The author creates the story on the premise that Kate is responsible for saving herself and her mother from starvation and being poor by selling their only cow. Instead of a man buying the cow for beans, a woman buys the cow. This woman also turns out to be the lady who tells Kate of a Princess and her mother that her cast away from the Castle by the Giant. I do believe, that because this story takes a feminist's turn, it seems to place the only male in the story in the bad guy's position. This clearly shows that females can kick butt just like men can even if they big bad guy is a giant!
4. Curriculum connection: I think this book could be read with the traditional tale of Jack and the Beanstalk to show students how boys and girls are equally as powerful in the fairy tale world as well as in real world. This story, because it is a picture book, is not just limited to elementary school. In fact, I would suggest using it in middle school to show equality among genders when the students are going through a lot of changes to help them understand that everyone is changing.
February 23, 2018
In a re-creation of Jack and the Beanstalk, a little girl named, Kate, promises to help her mother by selling their cow, only to be tempted to trade the cow for magical beans. The magical beans grow into a large beanstalk that reach into the sky of which Kate quickly climbs up, where she meets an old woman. From the old woman, she learns of a giant who stole three precious items and she must retrieve them from the giant. Courageously, Kate disguises herself and on multiple trips, she recovers the stolen items and saves the day. While running away from the giant, she cuts the beanstalk, killing the giant as well.
Themes in Kate in the Beanstalk are that of family issues, poverty, and courage. Kate is portrayed as a courageous girl who is not afraid of anything, showing how not only Jack (boys), but Kate (girls) too can do anything they put their minds too.
I liked this book, but it wasn't one of my favorite children's books I have read. The illustrations were very good, but the text was lengthier and more cold than this book should have been with its target audience. I think it also portrays men as greedy and sinister.
I would not recommend this book to children as the language use and imagery was not very uplifting. The message gets lost as you progress through the book and it ends abruptly with Kate breaking the neck of the giant to find out that it was the same giant that had killed her father.
Themes in Kate in the Beanstalk are that of family issues, poverty, and courage. Kate is portrayed as a courageous girl who is not afraid of anything, showing how not only Jack (boys), but Kate (girls) too can do anything they put their minds too.
I liked this book, but it wasn't one of my favorite children's books I have read. The illustrations were very good, but the text was lengthier and more cold than this book should have been with its target audience. I think it also portrays men as greedy and sinister.
I would not recommend this book to children as the language use and imagery was not very uplifting. The message gets lost as you progress through the book and it ends abruptly with Kate breaking the neck of the giant to find out that it was the same giant that had killed her father.
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February 11, 2016This week I picked out fairy tales that I wasn't as familiarized with. This book specifically is one that I did not ever read as a child. It is a re-written version of Jack and the Beanstalk but instead a girl is the main character who is named Kate. In this story, Kate goes on a journey to find food for her and her mother before they starve. Kate begins her journey by exchanging her cow for beans. Her mother is upset with Kate's decision and decides to throw the beans out the window. Later in the night, the beans grow into a tall beanstalk. Kate climbs up the beanstalk to soon discover a castle that a giant lives in. She talks to a woman who gives her a "mission" to complete and if she completes it, the woman will provide food for her and her mother for a lifetime. Kate completes the tasks that are asked of her and surprises her mother with a lifetime of food from the woman. The moral that I noticed while reading this book for the first time was dedication and hard work. Throughout the whole book Kate works hard to and endures a tough journey to receive something a gift that will prevent her and her mom from starving. I love the message that I perceived from reading this book and would love to read it to my future students so that they could see how hard work can pay off and make you and others around you happy!
February 15, 2015
The book, "Kate and the Beanstalk", is a modern twist on the original fairytale ,"Jack and the Beanstalk". Kate, like Jack, is a very curious and mischievous child that does not really listen to her mom. Kate comes across some magic beans that eventually get planed only to grow a giant beanstalk. Kate climbs the beanstalk and tricks the giants and steals extravagant items that the giants love and get into more trouble.
The book's illustrator and author collaborate well together as they both tell with description the same story. Even the facial expressions illustrated show the personalities of the characters with details that make the reader understand them more. The language and tone make the story more interesting and make the reader want to read more. This book makes readers enjoy it more because most people already know the original "jack and the Beanstalk" so it is more fun the contour the story a little.
The book's illustrator and author collaborate well together as they both tell with description the same story. Even the facial expressions illustrated show the personalities of the characters with details that make the reader understand them more. The language and tone make the story more interesting and make the reader want to read more. This book makes readers enjoy it more because most people already know the original "jack and the Beanstalk" so it is more fun the contour the story a little.
March 30, 2008
I liked that Kate went outside and she had to sell the cow. And like a wizard guy gave her magic beans and she planted the beans and woke up the next morning and climbed up the beanstalk. And I liked that she saw a castle and that she hid in the breadbox, in the closet and the giant who lived there said, "Fee Fi Fo Fumon, I smell the blood of an English woman. Be she alive or be she dead, I'll grind her bones to make my bread."
I DID NOT like that the giant found Kate because he wanted to eat her. And she ran down the beanstalk and the giant came after her. And she told her mom to get an ax and she did and the giant came tumbling after and fell down the beanstalk and he died. And her mom looked at it and this is the giant that ate your father.
I DID NOT like that the giant found Kate because he wanted to eat her. And she ran down the beanstalk and the giant came after her. And she told her mom to get an ax and she did and the giant came tumbling after and fell down the beanstalk and he died. And her mom looked at it and this is the giant that ate your father.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 18, 2009
Illustrator: Giselle Potter
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Date of Publication: 2000
Genre: Fiction, Fairy tales & myths
Reading Level: 4-8
Theme: graditude, thankfulness, determination, contentment
Curricula Use: teach children to never give up
teach children how to be content.
Social Issues: Poor Social Class
Text & Pictures: The illustrations are fantastic works of art. The pictures tell the story along with the text. They work well together.
Summary: the little girl, Kate, wants to help her family because they are poor. By using magic beans, she is able to climb a beandtalk, defeat a giant, and make her family very wealthy. This story is an adaption of "Jack and the Beanstalk" fairy tale.
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Date of Publication: 2000
Genre: Fiction, Fairy tales & myths
Reading Level: 4-8
Theme: graditude, thankfulness, determination, contentment
Curricula Use: teach children to never give up
teach children how to be content.
Social Issues: Poor Social Class
Text & Pictures: The illustrations are fantastic works of art. The pictures tell the story along with the text. They work well together.
Summary: the little girl, Kate, wants to help her family because they are poor. By using magic beans, she is able to climb a beandtalk, defeat a giant, and make her family very wealthy. This story is an adaption of "Jack and the Beanstalk" fairy tale.
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November 26, 2011A cute spin on the classical story of Jack and the Beanstalk, Kate sells her mother's only cow for some magical beans. The story goes on in the traditional way except that the mean giant actually took over the castle he lives in by killing the knight who lived there. Once Kate kills the giant it turns out that she and her mother were the daughter and wife of the knight who used to live in the castle. They move back in and are happy and well-fed again. A good story for teaching lesson about prediction and inferring character traits. A creative writing activity using the story elements from Kate and the Beanstalk is another idea except the students would use their name in the title and would come up with their own way of retelling the story (just as this story isn't the original).
April 15, 2012
I have to admit this was my favorite of all the versions I read of this story. Jack is Kate and a giant killed her father years ago and stole their castle (I know!!). Kate is described as "plucky", "forlorn" -- the sights are "astonishing"-- the widow "grieving". Kate is a clever girl who returns to the castle three times (in disguise the last two) in order to steal the hen that lays the golden eggs, the bag of coins and the magic harp. But she doesn't steal them for herself; she steals them for the knight's widow. It is not until the end of the book that she realizes that the knight's widow is her mother. Best of all (besides the changing font size) is that fee, fi, fo, fum is changed to fee, fi, fo fum'un so it rhymes with Englishwoman.
July 19, 2014
This was a fantastic tale about Kate and the beanstalk, much like the traditional Jack story, but with a female lead character - which I loved because there was no particular emphasis on Kate's being female, it was just a natural part of the story. Not that I mind a book that blatantly reinforces equality of the sexes, but sometimes it can be nice to read something that doesn't point it out, but just takes it as part of life. The writing was also very good, I was pleasantly surprised since I've never been all that excited about Osborne's writing in the Magic Tree House books. The illustrations in this book did not impress me, just not my style.
February 7, 2010
Format:Picture Book
Award:ALAN 2001 (ALA Notable Books for Children)
This award is given for commendable quality and or creativity in chilren's literature.
This is a different twist on the classic Jack and the Bean Stalk. In this version Kate climbs the bean stalk to outsmart the giant. Kate gets a nice surprise at the end of the story.
This would be a great book to use in the classroom when looking at folktales. This book is a nice compliment to Jack and the Beanstalk. Young girls will like to see that Kate is able to outsmart the giant just like Jack was.
Award:ALAN 2001 (ALA Notable Books for Children)
This award is given for commendable quality and or creativity in chilren's literature.
This is a different twist on the classic Jack and the Bean Stalk. In this version Kate climbs the bean stalk to outsmart the giant. Kate gets a nice surprise at the end of the story.
This would be a great book to use in the classroom when looking at folktales. This book is a nice compliment to Jack and the Beanstalk. Young girls will like to see that Kate is able to outsmart the giant just like Jack was.
March 20, 2013
This book is an adaption of the story of Jack and the Beanstalk. It still sticks to the original tale, but added to it is a twist of freshness and female. I believe that this book is an excellent book for young children, especially girls, to see just how important females can be in literature. It is not very often that females are portrayed on such a positive aspect and with such a large portion. This book could teach students valuable lesson and also introduce them to the concept of traditional literature.
July 24, 2017
This picture book (traditional literature) is about a girl who sold her cow to get money for her mom and herself because they were poor. She gave her cow up for magical beans and ended up with more than she expected in the end. The illustrations in this book are superb and different from any other picture book I have seen or read.
October 18, 2017
Kate and the Beanstalk is a fractured fairy tail. I don't necessarily find the illustrations all that pleasing. The story itself is a good story, I like the twist that they put on it with Kate disguising herself. She was very clever and outsmarted the giant. I gave it 3 stars because go the uneventful ending and the iffy illustrations.
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June 29, 2017Jack and the Beanstalk girl power style! This fractured tale of Kate and the Beanstalk is just what little girls want to read. Kate defeats the giant and restores herself to her father's throne. The illustrations of this story show the depth and magnitude of the beanstalk and giants wonderfully.
October 22, 2007
fun illustrations, liked the story better than the original (morals)
June 24, 2009
A great re-telling of the classic "Jack in the Beanstalk" story with a spunky girl as the main character. Good for the under 7 crowd.
April 16, 2008
Not my favorite Mary Pope Osborne but she does add a note of selflessness to the story which is nice.
July 15, 2008
Like the gender twist - Kate is smart, resourceful and selfless.
March 9, 2009
this book had a fun spin on the original Jack and the Beanstalk, it was nice to read a girl as the heroine for a change in a fairy tale, the illustrations were great too!!
July 1, 2009
This one is great. It is a fun spin on Jack and the Beanstalk. My little girl loves that the girl is the hero.
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