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A Bean, a Stalk and a Boy Named Jack
When a king's pinky grows stinky, it is up to a smallish boy and a smallish pea to come up with a GIANT plan to save the kingdom; a fractured fairy tale from William Joyce and Moonbot Studios, the masterminds who brought you The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore.
You might think you know the story of Jack and the Beanstalk, but you might want to think again. In this fairy tale with a twist, it hasn't rained in days and the king has dictated that something must be done; his royal pinky is getting stinky! With a little magic from a wizard, young Jack, paired with his pea pod pal, will find a GIANT reason as to why there's no water left in the kingdom...and prove that size doesn't prevent anyone from doing something BIG.
You might think you know the story of Jack and the Beanstalk, but you might want to think again. In this fairy tale with a twist, it hasn't rained in days and the king has dictated that something must be done; his royal pinky is getting stinky! With a little magic from a wizard, young Jack, paired with his pea pod pal, will find a GIANT reason as to why there's no water left in the kingdom...and prove that size doesn't prevent anyone from doing something BIG.
56 pages, Hardcover
First published October 7, 2014
6 people are currently reading
311 people want to read
About the author
William Joyce
163 books1,478 followersWilliam Joyce does a lot of stuff—films, apps, Olympic curling—but children’s books are his true bailiwick (The Numberlys, The Man in the Moon, Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King, Toothiana, and the #1 New York Times bestselling The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, which is also an Academy Award–winning short film, to name a few). He lives with his family in Shreveport, Louisiana.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
February 29, 2020
This is a retelling of Jack and the beanstalk for the beginner set. William Joyce wrote this, but oddly, he didn’t illustrate it, or that’s the way it looks. The story is similar enough to the fairytale. There is a drought, but Jack doesn’t try to sell his cow. There is a wizard who creates these magic beans that gets Jack a little magic pea bean. The giant is a little giant boy in the bathtub. He’s been in there too long. When the water is drained, it rains. SO that’s how rain happens.
I didn’t think the update was out of this world or anything, but it’s for a beginning audience and I think they would enjoy this. The artwork is cute.
The nephew thought the boy in the bathtub was hilarious. I don’t know why he finds that stuff so funny, but he does. He thought this was a cute story and an okay book. He’s just glad that’s not really how it rains. He didn’t want to walk around outside in dirty kids dirty bath water. He gave this 3 stars.
I didn’t think the update was out of this world or anything, but it’s for a beginning audience and I think they would enjoy this. The artwork is cute.
The nephew thought the boy in the bathtub was hilarious. I don’t know why he finds that stuff so funny, but he does. He thought this was a cute story and an okay book. He’s just glad that’s not really how it rains. He didn’t want to walk around outside in dirty kids dirty bath water. He gave this 3 stars.
November 23, 2016
Wow! The story of Jack and the Beanstalk is a very well-known story, but the story of “A bean, a stalk, and a boy named Jack” adds a little twist. This folklore is the tale of things happening. It had not rained for an extremely long period of time and everything started to dry up in this little town. People began to get desperate and worried. The king’s daughter begged an old wizard to do something magical and things started to happen. Jack and his smallish magic bean worked together to make things happen. At the end of the story the bean said he was thirsty. The king’s daughter was referred to as Princess Blah Blah Blah until the end when she meets Jack. She told Jack to call her Jill. Jack invites her to fetch a pail of water for his pal. The story “supposedly” ends there but of course we all know the story of Jack and Jill.
I would use this book for students in K-2 (ages 5 to 8). I would want to encourage my students to strengthen their reading strategies specifically the “during” reading strategy. During reading strategies develop through predictions, questions, and metacognition. During the story, the phrase “things began….to….happen” is repeated numerous times. When the phrase occurs, I would encourage my students to make a prediction about what they think is going to happen next. The students should also ask questions about the beans purpose to want to do something big at the beginning. Questioning during reading promotes the advancement from literal comprehension to inferential comprehension. When students begin to make connection within the text they determine a deeper of the text that is not stated explicitly. Students should be able to infer and conclude that the overall theme of the story is to prove that size does not prevent anyone, including a bean, from doing something big and exciting.
I would use this book for students in K-2 (ages 5 to 8). I would want to encourage my students to strengthen their reading strategies specifically the “during” reading strategy. During reading strategies develop through predictions, questions, and metacognition. During the story, the phrase “things began….to….happen” is repeated numerous times. When the phrase occurs, I would encourage my students to make a prediction about what they think is going to happen next. The students should also ask questions about the beans purpose to want to do something big at the beginning. Questioning during reading promotes the advancement from literal comprehension to inferential comprehension. When students begin to make connection within the text they determine a deeper of the text that is not stated explicitly. Students should be able to infer and conclude that the overall theme of the story is to prove that size does not prevent anyone, including a bean, from doing something big and exciting.
January 6, 2018
A cute retelling of Jack and The Beanstalk. Definitely not one of our favorites, but I enjoyed the illustrations and trying to get the girls to guess what was going to happen next. It kept them engaged through the end, and they were able to make some predictions about what was going to happen. My older daughter informed me that she is not a fan of the Jack in the Beanstalk story in general, while my youngest was a little disturbed that the little Giant in the bathtub had NO CLOTHES ON!!!!! LOL. They kept me laughing with their running commentary on this one, quite the little book critics they're turning into :-)
Our favorite part was the ending where the story of Jack and the Beanstalk suddenly turns into the Mother Goose Story Jack and Jill Went up the Hill. A sequel would be pretty cool.
Our favorite part was the ending where the story of Jack and the Beanstalk suddenly turns into the Mother Goose Story Jack and Jill Went up the Hill. A sequel would be pretty cool.
April 14, 2018
not my favorite William Joyce, bit some kids may like it. Too silly.
February 11, 2015
Fractured version with allusions to several fairy tales. Cute story with great, humorous voice.
September 10, 2016
I can't decide if this book was ridiculous or hilarious. I cal that a good problem to have.
February 27, 2020
This was such a beautiful delight and I loved the story and how it progressed good golly was it ever good!!
October 9, 2014
Full review at http://thebookshelfgargoyle.wordpress... (Oct 10)
I received a digital copy of this title from the publisher in exchange for review.
When drought hits the land, all the King’s subjects must line up to do their bit – their bit specifically being producing tears in order to provide water to wash the King’s stinky pinky toe. After some slight interference from the King’s daughter and the Royal Wizard, a smallish boy and a smallish bean join forces to solve the problem of the stinky pinky, and return equilibrium to the kingdom. When Jack (the smallish boy) plants Bean (the smallish bean), an oversized stalk erupts and delivers the unlikely pair to the crux of the problem – a (smallish) giant kid having a giant bath! With a bit of friendly conversation and due consideration, the water problem is rectified and the King’s pinky becomes unstinky. Cue bathing! Cue rejoicing! Cue…another fairy tale?!
**For some odd reason – it could be something to do with the writing – but I imagined this whole tale beginning to end read in a Brooklyn-ish accent. It seemed to fit perfectly and really added to the experience for me, but you know, it’s just a suggestion. **
At 58 pages, A Bean, A Stalk and a Boy Named Jack, is a slightly longer than average picture book, but the engaging and colourful illustrations, many of them covering double page spreads, just suck you straight into the adventure. The tale is narrated in a fun, laid-back tone, and while there’s no rhyme, there are plenty of repeated phrases for the young’uns to join in with. The text is laid out in a combination of clear black type and colourful speech bubbles and this mixes things up and provides a bit of interest.
Jack is immediately likeable and Bean is possibly the cutest vegetable ever to grace the page and the remaining members of the ensemble cast just seem to want to solve the stinky pinky problem and return the status quo. There’s also an extremely underwhelmed Brahman bull that pops up here and there that had us all giggling from the get-go, so watch out for him! There’s not a lot of wild adventure here – more of a meeting of like minds – but it’s definitely worth a look simply to appreciate the eye-catching art and gentle humour gracing the pages. I especially liked the cheeky twist at the end of the tale which leads into another fairy tale (Jack, of course, being a common name in fairy tale circles), but I won’t spoil it for you.
If you are looking for a fun, relaxed twist on the Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum that exchanges bone-grinding for hygienic bathing practices and water conservation, then this is the fairy tale makeover for you! I must admit, paging through it again has sucked me straight back into the beautiful illustrations, so I’m going to sign off now and spend a few more moments giving my eyeballs a visual treat.
Recommended
I received a digital copy of this title from the publisher in exchange for review.
When drought hits the land, all the King’s subjects must line up to do their bit – their bit specifically being producing tears in order to provide water to wash the King’s stinky pinky toe. After some slight interference from the King’s daughter and the Royal Wizard, a smallish boy and a smallish bean join forces to solve the problem of the stinky pinky, and return equilibrium to the kingdom. When Jack (the smallish boy) plants Bean (the smallish bean), an oversized stalk erupts and delivers the unlikely pair to the crux of the problem – a (smallish) giant kid having a giant bath! With a bit of friendly conversation and due consideration, the water problem is rectified and the King’s pinky becomes unstinky. Cue bathing! Cue rejoicing! Cue…another fairy tale?!
**For some odd reason – it could be something to do with the writing – but I imagined this whole tale beginning to end read in a Brooklyn-ish accent. It seemed to fit perfectly and really added to the experience for me, but you know, it’s just a suggestion. **
At 58 pages, A Bean, A Stalk and a Boy Named Jack, is a slightly longer than average picture book, but the engaging and colourful illustrations, many of them covering double page spreads, just suck you straight into the adventure. The tale is narrated in a fun, laid-back tone, and while there’s no rhyme, there are plenty of repeated phrases for the young’uns to join in with. The text is laid out in a combination of clear black type and colourful speech bubbles and this mixes things up and provides a bit of interest.
Jack is immediately likeable and Bean is possibly the cutest vegetable ever to grace the page and the remaining members of the ensemble cast just seem to want to solve the stinky pinky problem and return the status quo. There’s also an extremely underwhelmed Brahman bull that pops up here and there that had us all giggling from the get-go, so watch out for him! There’s not a lot of wild adventure here – more of a meeting of like minds – but it’s definitely worth a look simply to appreciate the eye-catching art and gentle humour gracing the pages. I especially liked the cheeky twist at the end of the tale which leads into another fairy tale (Jack, of course, being a common name in fairy tale circles), but I won’t spoil it for you.
If you are looking for a fun, relaxed twist on the Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum that exchanges bone-grinding for hygienic bathing practices and water conservation, then this is the fairy tale makeover for you! I must admit, paging through it again has sucked me straight back into the beautiful illustrations, so I’m going to sign off now and spend a few more moments giving my eyeballs a visual treat.
Recommended
May 22, 2015
SUMMARY: Jack lives on a farm with his family. There is a terrible drought. The daughter of the king (Princess Blah Blah Blah), asks a wizard to do something. So he creates some magical beans. One ends up in Jack's possession. He plants it and climbs the giant beanstalk. He meets a giant taking a bath. After much discussion, jack goes down the drain, taking the water with him which pours down the beanstalk making the kingdom wet once more.
ILLUSTRATIONS: The illustrations were created in multimedia. They are rich, colorful, large, finely detailed, and very nice to look at over and over.
THE GOOD: I always enjoy a good fractured fairy tale. Joyce gets points for creating a new take on Jack and the Bean Stalk. His characters were cute and often downright funny, especially the king with the stinky pinky.
THE NOT AS GOOD: I was immediately turned off by the phrasing and language the author uses in the story such as:
"The last outta the pod." (This is a fragment)
"That's about it. No great shakes." (What exactly does this mean?)
"All right-a-roonie, Jack."
I felt like I was reading a gangster version of the fairy tale and it was very incongruent to me. The lengthy conversation with the giant in the bath confused me. What was that all about? They were simply passing the time of day--again, out of place. Jack's whole trip up the beanstalk seemed rather mediocre. Then the story ends with Jack and Jill fetching a pail of water. What?
AGE RECOMMENDATION: This story is advertised for ages 3-6, but I think it would be better suited for ages 5-8. This age group would better understand the subtle humor. Plus, the book is quite lengthy with 55 pages.
ILLUSTRATIONS: The illustrations were created in multimedia. They are rich, colorful, large, finely detailed, and very nice to look at over and over.
THE GOOD: I always enjoy a good fractured fairy tale. Joyce gets points for creating a new take on Jack and the Bean Stalk. His characters were cute and often downright funny, especially the king with the stinky pinky.
THE NOT AS GOOD: I was immediately turned off by the phrasing and language the author uses in the story such as:
"The last outta the pod." (This is a fragment)
"That's about it. No great shakes." (What exactly does this mean?)
"All right-a-roonie, Jack."
I felt like I was reading a gangster version of the fairy tale and it was very incongruent to me. The lengthy conversation with the giant in the bath confused me. What was that all about? They were simply passing the time of day--again, out of place. Jack's whole trip up the beanstalk seemed rather mediocre. Then the story ends with Jack and Jill fetching a pail of water. What?
AGE RECOMMENDATION: This story is advertised for ages 3-6, but I think it would be better suited for ages 5-8. This age group would better understand the subtle humor. Plus, the book is quite lengthy with 55 pages.
October 1, 2016
by William Joyce; illustrated by Kenny Callicutt
Moonbot Books/Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-7349-2
Picture book, fiction, fractured fairy tale
Interest level: K-3
Reading level: 2.0
3 out of 4 stars
This book sets out to be a new look at the story of Jack and the Beanstalk. The story starts where we meet the bean--who to me really looks like a pea--but anyway, the bean can talk. The kingdom where Jack lives, hasn't had rain for so long that the crops, wells, and lakes have all dried up, but that's not actually the biggest problem in the kingdom. The biggest problem is that King Blah Blah Blah has a "stinky pinky." From this point on, the story is pretty silly, and doesn't make sense in some areas.
A local wizard casts a spell on the talking bean, an enormous beanstalk grows, where Jack discovers a giant in the clouds, taking a really long bath and hogging all the water. So Jack convinces him to empty the tub, rides down the drain, the water washes the king's little toe, crisis averted. The scene between Jack and the giant in the tub, is really kind of weird and didn't flow well.
The best part of the book is the ending. The bean is thirsty, so Jack and Princess Blah Blah Blah, whose real name is Jill, head up a hill to fetch a pail of water for the bean. Very clever segue into a nursery rhyme and a new story.
The multimedia illustrations are created by Kenny Callicutt at Moonbot Studios. Their cartoon-like quality are fun and will be very appealing to younger children. While silly humor usually plays well with kids, I think that some of the word play and situations are too choppy and will be lost to them.
Moonbot Books/Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-7349-2
Picture book, fiction, fractured fairy tale
Interest level: K-3
Reading level: 2.0
3 out of 4 stars
This book sets out to be a new look at the story of Jack and the Beanstalk. The story starts where we meet the bean--who to me really looks like a pea--but anyway, the bean can talk. The kingdom where Jack lives, hasn't had rain for so long that the crops, wells, and lakes have all dried up, but that's not actually the biggest problem in the kingdom. The biggest problem is that King Blah Blah Blah has a "stinky pinky." From this point on, the story is pretty silly, and doesn't make sense in some areas.
A local wizard casts a spell on the talking bean, an enormous beanstalk grows, where Jack discovers a giant in the clouds, taking a really long bath and hogging all the water. So Jack convinces him to empty the tub, rides down the drain, the water washes the king's little toe, crisis averted. The scene between Jack and the giant in the tub, is really kind of weird and didn't flow well.
The best part of the book is the ending. The bean is thirsty, so Jack and Princess Blah Blah Blah, whose real name is Jill, head up a hill to fetch a pail of water for the bean. Very clever segue into a nursery rhyme and a new story.
The multimedia illustrations are created by Kenny Callicutt at Moonbot Studios. Their cartoon-like quality are fun and will be very appealing to younger children. While silly humor usually plays well with kids, I think that some of the word play and situations are too choppy and will be lost to them.
March 19, 2017
Excellent story of a boy who plants a bean he received from a magician. The magician has added some magic to help the land which is lacking rain for so long. The princess blah blah blah goes to the wizard to get help. Jack plants the bean and it grows into a beanstalk and finds a giant child in a tub and manages to send water down below. The story allows him to meet other nursery rhyme characters along the way. It is a very beautiful book with whimsical illustrations. This should win some awards soon. Kids will love this one. Highly recommended Gr. 1-2.
July 12, 2018
If you think you know the Jack and the Beanstalk story, grab this version by William Joyce for a brand new twist. You’ll find a sweet smallish boy named Jack, a friendly, adventurous bean, a smallish giant kid in the bathtub, and a king with a stinky pinky. Joyce pokes some fun at the recycled names in fairy tales and drops a few puns to make this simple story an enjoyable read aloud even for a little older elementary kids, I think.
August 17, 2017
A fun alternative telling of Jack and the Beanstalk. I read it for two storytimes. It was a bit too difficult for the younger kids to grasp (they were confused why there wasn't a giant), but the older kids (7-9) seemed to enjoy it. They thought the tie-in to Jack and Jill at the end was pretty funny too.
Paired nicely with a beanstalk-building activity that everyone enjoyed.
Paired nicely with a beanstalk-building activity that everyone enjoyed.
April 24, 2015
I'm a big William Joyce fan but this text is self-consciously "cute." The subtext seemed to me to be, "Children, I have a bad attitude. Does that mean you'll like me? I hope hope hope so." However the illustrations were fabulous.
April 14, 2018
I didn't really enjoy the language and style of this one. For some kids, it will be a great hit, but it doesn't seem to have the universal appeal that some children's books do that makes it fun for adults.
August 31, 2018
This book was just weird. I do not know what to make of it; the king is brutal and makes everyone cry so he has water to wash his pinky? But no one has water to grow any food etc. That's a good way to inspire le terror et la guillotine.
Ozman was enjoying it though, but not as much as other books.
Ozman was enjoying it though, but not as much as other books.
October 17, 2016
A little too pat but would be fun to read aloud.
March 12, 2017
Students loved it as a read aloud, especially liked the connection/twist at the end. (What twist you say? Well, go read it. :) )
June 15, 2017
Cute version of Jack and the beanstalk. Love how it ties it into Jack and Jill as well. My little ones (2 and 4) especially liked that part.
June 20, 2017
This was a very cute take on the Jack and the Beanstalk tale.
August 29, 2017
Loved this book and how it twist off of jack and the bean stalk and leaves you hanging at the end! It had good illustrations and I liked how it was told in the perspective of the bean as well!
October 17, 2017
Very creative story. Jack is a normal boy of smallish size who plants a magic bean. That's about the only similarity to the fairy tale. It's a great story with wonderful humor and illustrations.
January 4, 2018
I didn't like the giant in the bathtub, you could see his "ninnies".
January 4, 2018
It was OK, but I don't really like books about Jack and the Beanstalk.
January 4, 2018
Very fun, great art, and I loved the whole concept for this book.
March 29, 2018
The story is a bit simplistic but the art is phenomenal and there is a funny twist at the end.
April 9, 2018
very adorable, don't think the kid I was with understood my excitement at the jack & jill reference at the end
July 10, 2018
Not up to par with the quality of his other books. Cute story but quickly lost direction.
January 20, 2019
A warm and creative take on Jack and the Bean stalk with the hallmarks of Joyce's works.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews