The House That Jack Built

by Diana Mayo (Illustrator)

An illustrated version of the cumulative nursery rhyme about the chain of events that started when Jack built a house.

Genres: Picture Books, Poetry, Childrens, Folklore, Animals

24 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Annissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Copyright: 2006
Number of Pages: 24
Book Format: paperback
Reading Level: Grades PreK-3
Genre: fiction
Lit Requirement: picture book for older readers

Summary:
This book goes through an adventure that begins with the house that Jack built. This 10 line story is very repetitive and builds upon itself. I would say more about this story but it would give it all away! Read the book to find out the story!

Review:
This book is very similar to the "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly" story. I like the rhymes that are in the story, but I feel that other than that, there is no lesson or underlying message within the story. I personally would not recommend this story because it was not very meaningful to me and i think there would be no educational benefit from children reading this besides rhyming.

[Kiarra · Rating 4 out of 5]

As it tumbles through the pages, "The House That Jack Built" is a classic children's rhyme that picks up speed and complexity. I believe the children would enjoy repeating the rhymes and following the antics of the various animals and characters of various sizes and shapes. I had never read this classic book as a kid, so I was delighted to come across it when looking for folklore books. I liked that this book had beautiful illustrations and a lot of vibrant colors, but the story itself was a little short and the book ended abruptly. However, if you like books that are repetitive, I highly advise you to do some research on these types of books. Alternatively, if you're looking to diversify your classroom library, I think this is a good place to start. This will also be a good easy read for students who don't like reading that much.

[Vj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked the illustrations

[Cassidy Ringle]

This book has a lot of rhyming and repetition so I would include it in my library

[Katlin Sims · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the house that Jack built...this was one of my favorite poems when I was a child thanks to my great grandmother who read it to me as many times as I asked. The illustations in the book are similar to the one I knew as a child, which makes this particular one my personal favorite. It is a fun poem that is repetitive, easy to get tongue tied over, and is most fun when read quickly with lots of sounds added or when acted out. As each character comes onto the scene a new child can come forward and play the part of the cheese, the mouse, the cat, the maid, and all the others.

[Tricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

We enjoyed this book version of the classic rhyme with illustrations cleverly supplying clues to the next character yet also including the past characters. Half the fun was looking for how they were placed upon the scenery.

[Daisy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know they serve a pedagogical purpose, but cumulative tales have always felt tedious and irksome to me. And of course The House that Jack Built is the granddaddy of all cumulative tales. That said, Mayo's art is cheerful and engaging.

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

Colorful illustrations. Text dances around the page.

[Darci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ky and Mia liked this!

[Logan Young]

1st grade. quick read. I really enjoyed how the story introduced the characters and replace the words with illustrations.

[Stacy Renee (LazyDayLit)]

While I'm sure the repetition is great for little ones, it got on my nerves pretty quick. It doesn't help that I had to read it about 25 times in one day.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great treatment of an old favorite.