The Tale of Jack and the Fallen Giants

Tales for Once & Ever #2

by Jonathan Pageau, Eloise Scherrer (Illustrator)

A poor boy... a handful of magical beans... a beanstalk... an army of giants... It's a story every child knows... Or is it?
From the mind of Jonathan Pageau and a storytelling tradition older than the Brothers Grimm comes Jack and the Fallen Giants. This numinous retelling of a beloved classic allows modern readers to reclaim the beauty of this well-beloved fairy tale through insightful storytelling and iconic illustrations. Like all great fairy tales, Jack and the Fallen Giants is written to be enjoyed by children, but contains hidden treasures for readers of all ages.
The book is beautifully illustrated by Eloise Scherrer. As a young artist, Eloise was deeply inspired by the works of J.R.R. Tolkien and has spent her career giving shape and color to the best of European fantasy literature. Her attention to depth, textures, movement, and light creates whimsical and vivid illustrations that draw the reader into a realm of enchantment and imagination.
Jack and the Fallen Giants is the second volume of a series of eight fairy tale books called Tales for Once & Ever, written by Jonathan Pageau. Together, these stories weave an enchanting tapestry of well-known characters and narratives, ushering modern readers into a fairy tale world worthy of our great heritage.

Genres: Fantasy, Childrens, Picture Books, Fairy Tales

56 pages, Hardcover

Published November 1, 2024

Reviews

[Fiona Altschuler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this picture book much more than the one about Snow White. The illustrations were beautiful and warm, and the story was so haunting and lovely! Something about the image of Jack climbing higher, ever higher, even though his food is gone and all hope seems to have faded, gives me shivers. Also, there's a LOT of alchemy in here!!

[Jeremy]

Watch Jonathan Pageau discuss the meaning of the story here.

[John Rimmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this one end to end in one sitting with the kids. The kind of story that leaves many open gates along the way that makes you want to come back. Many riddles, many side quests, many hidden symbols in the margins. A great heirloom book.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good storytelling like the first volume, but the illustrations here were not as strong.

[Will Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is my favorite so far. Lottie wanted to know "can the giants fly" like 5 times.
A: only in their chariots

[Katie Newberger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, vibrant, energetic illustrations! I appreciated the balance of using the familiar phrases while adding some layers to add richness. Stirs the mind and heart without being preachy. Excited for the series to continue!

[Joseph R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The classic tale of Jack and the Beanstalk is reimagined by Jonathan Pageau in a beautifully illustrated and bound volume. The story has the familiar beats--Jack and his mother are starving in a small house with only a cow for milk. Mother sends Jack to town to sell the cow so they don't starve. He runs into an old man who claims to have magic beans and tricks Jack into trading the cow for the beans. His upset mother tosses them out the window when Jack tries to explain. He accepts that he has been duped but the next morning a giant beanstalk reaches into the sky. Jack decides to climb it, having fantastic adventures that restore the fortunes of his small family.

The book follows the same formula as the previous fairy tale, The Tale of Snow White and the Widow Queen, both returning to the main folkloric story and adding some details and twists to give it a richer meaning and some visual grandeur. The exciting surface story holds a deeper meaning that is not too far down or too obscure to miss. The meaning is a little more buried here but will worth the effort to unearth.

Recommended, highly if you, like me, enjoyed the first volume.

[Geno C. Foral · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, thought-provoking, mysteriously wise. The Tale of Jack and the Fallen Giants is a wonderful reimagining and restoration of the classic story.

I feel privileged to hold a book so beautifully made. I greatly respect and appreciate Pageau’s intention behind these books, and, though I do not explicitly understand their symbolism, I know I am getting something great from their myth.

[Alexa Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent tale and so rich! It’s like Prometheus in a fairy tale. I honestly want to grab the “symbolism of” companion book because despite being astounded by the depth of symbols I know I’m missing so much. But it was beautiful and well done. “And their terrible acts would become the stuff of great adventures and legends.” 👌🏼

[Ruben Buijs · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of, maybe the, best version of an illustrated Jack and the beanstalk/fallen giants. Pageau distills the most important meaning out of the original and thus is very much true to it. Perfect for kids, as young as ages 3 and up for sure, but also older I would reckon.

[Nicholas Kotar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even better than volume 1. So much visual and symbolic beauty to chew on!!!

[Sam Gruber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous

[Cris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written and illustrated.

[Susanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful book, kind of annoyed the author's interpretation is in a second book (for purchase), given the cost to buy this volume.