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Bedtime Fairy Tale Graphic Novels
Daddy and the Beanstalk
Perfect for fans of Narwhal and Jelly, this charming and hilarious take on classic fairy tales tackles the family chaos of bedtime.
Did you know that Jack was looking for hot dogs when he climbed up the beanstalk? Or that he was led there by a talking fox named Wendy?
Ok, maybe that’s not how the real story goes, but when Estella’s dad, Andrew, tells her bedtime stories, she’s always in for a bit of twist!
A hilarious modern retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk, Daddy and the Beanstalk is a recipe for fun and adventure—with a hint of magic.
Did you know that Jack was looking for hot dogs when he climbed up the beanstalk? Or that he was led there by a talking fox named Wendy?
Ok, maybe that’s not how the real story goes, but when Estella’s dad, Andrew, tells her bedtime stories, she’s always in for a bit of twist!
A hilarious modern retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk, Daddy and the Beanstalk is a recipe for fun and adventure—with a hint of magic.
96 pages, Hardcover
Published November 14, 2023
1 person is currently reading
2438 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
November 16, 2023
I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.
Daddy and the Beanstalk is a fun Jack and the Beanstalk retelling told in a graphic novel style. I just loved the humour in this book, and it made me giggle from start to finish. We follow a father who tells his daughter a story at bedtime about an adventure he had as a child. His tale starts out much like the much loved classic of Jack and the Beanstalk but takes a fun and unique twist after he purchases the beans. I loved the talking fox and the illustrations were fun and engaging. This book teaches children some important morals such as the importance of always telling the truth, kindness and consideration towards others, apologising when you're in the wrong and that it's okay to make mistakes as that's how we learn. This is a perfect bedtime adventure story that leaves the reader/listener with some great morals to think on. I hope there will be more like this to come as there's potential there to create a series of standalone retellingsfor children.
Daddy and the Beanstalk is a fun Jack and the Beanstalk retelling told in a graphic novel style. I just loved the humour in this book, and it made me giggle from start to finish. We follow a father who tells his daughter a story at bedtime about an adventure he had as a child. His tale starts out much like the much loved classic of Jack and the Beanstalk but takes a fun and unique twist after he purchases the beans. I loved the talking fox and the illustrations were fun and engaging. This book teaches children some important morals such as the importance of always telling the truth, kindness and consideration towards others, apologising when you're in the wrong and that it's okay to make mistakes as that's how we learn. This is a perfect bedtime adventure story that leaves the reader/listener with some great morals to think on. I hope there will be more like this to come as there's potential there to create a series of standalone retellingsfor children.
June 15, 2025
In his delightful new book, author Andrew Weiner begins with a father telling a bedtime story to his young daughter. She asks for a story about him and her aunt when they were kids. Daddy proceeds to tell a reimagining of Jack and the Beanstalk with himself as the hero.
The interplay between the father and his daughter will amuse all parents. The daughter is bright, sassy and has a great relationship with her dad. The conversations remind me of ones that I might have had when my own children were young. Since the dad’s name is Andy, one might guess that this story began as an actual bedtime story with Wiener’s child. The interplay between young Andy and his older sister reflects typical sibling conversations.
The story he tells mirrors the original with a trip to the store and a purchase of magic beans that turn into a beanstalk. But there the story becomes original. Andy meets a talking fox and goes in search of hotdogs. It is full of twists on the old tale and is full of whimsy.
Bethany Crandall’s illustrations are charming. Her art style changes between the bedtime scenes and the story that Daddy is relating. In the first few pages. Daddy and Estella are drawn in realistic detail and normal coloring. The background of her bedroom is awash in muted tan and pale pink. The faded background only serves to draw focus on the characters themselves. By contrast, the bedtime story is drawn in a much more simplistic style with less detail and bright, vivid colors. This is a drawing style similar to one that you would see in most picture books. The difference in style between the bedroom and the beanstalk story is reminiscent of the Wizard of Oz. It was the first movie filmed in color, but the scenes on the farm that bookend the main story were filmed in black and white. The pale background in the bedroom scenes compared to the vivid colors in the main story mirror that technique. The difference in character styles also emphasizes the real family versus the story.
This is a delightful book that will appeal to a variety of ages. At 50 pages long, it is currently being marketed by the publisher as a graphic novel. Don’t let the label mislead you. This is definitely aimed at young children. To paraphrase the Bard, “A picture book by any other name would tell as sweet.” I highly recommend it for both young children and middle grades. I look forward to seeing more books by either the writer or the artist.
I want to thank the publishers and NetGalley for a review copy of this book.
The interplay between the father and his daughter will amuse all parents. The daughter is bright, sassy and has a great relationship with her dad. The conversations remind me of ones that I might have had when my own children were young. Since the dad’s name is Andy, one might guess that this story began as an actual bedtime story with Wiener’s child. The interplay between young Andy and his older sister reflects typical sibling conversations.
The story he tells mirrors the original with a trip to the store and a purchase of magic beans that turn into a beanstalk. But there the story becomes original. Andy meets a talking fox and goes in search of hotdogs. It is full of twists on the old tale and is full of whimsy.
Bethany Crandall’s illustrations are charming. Her art style changes between the bedtime scenes and the story that Daddy is relating. In the first few pages. Daddy and Estella are drawn in realistic detail and normal coloring. The background of her bedroom is awash in muted tan and pale pink. The faded background only serves to draw focus on the characters themselves. By contrast, the bedtime story is drawn in a much more simplistic style with less detail and bright, vivid colors. This is a drawing style similar to one that you would see in most picture books. The difference in style between the bedroom and the beanstalk story is reminiscent of the Wizard of Oz. It was the first movie filmed in color, but the scenes on the farm that bookend the main story were filmed in black and white. The pale background in the bedroom scenes compared to the vivid colors in the main story mirror that technique. The difference in character styles also emphasizes the real family versus the story.
This is a delightful book that will appeal to a variety of ages. At 50 pages long, it is currently being marketed by the publisher as a graphic novel. Don’t let the label mislead you. This is definitely aimed at young children. To paraphrase the Bard, “A picture book by any other name would tell as sweet.” I highly recommend it for both young children and middle grades. I look forward to seeing more books by either the writer or the artist.
I want to thank the publishers and NetGalley for a review copy of this book.
November 13, 2023
A delightful way to introduce some valuable lessons with a little mischief and some retelling of a famous fairy tale. A dad tells his daughter a bedtime story that is supposed to be something true that happened to him as a kid. Using the story he educates her and us on great lessons such as it is ok to make mistakes because we learn from them, telling the truth, being considerate, not being a bully, and knowing how to apologize... It has a great ending and the kids will know what is the right thing to do.
The last pages have some knock-knock illustrated jokes that make it whimsical. Also, this book encourages kids to read.
Perfect for young readers with clean and vibrant artwork, the characters have amazing face expressions worth exploring and it's quite relatable. I love that she has no concept of time and asks her father if they had cars when he was young and she thinks he is much older now so he must be 14. Love the humor.
It would be great to have a series of these.
Thank you, Publisher and Netgalley for this E-Arc.
The last pages have some knock-knock illustrated jokes that make it whimsical. Also, this book encourages kids to read.
Perfect for young readers with clean and vibrant artwork, the characters have amazing face expressions worth exploring and it's quite relatable. I love that she has no concept of time and asks her father if they had cars when he was young and she thinks he is much older now so he must be 14. Love the humor.
It would be great to have a series of these.
Thank you, Publisher and Netgalley for this E-Arc.
November 9, 2023
Loved it, great graphics, amusing story and fab jokes. Some important lessons throughout too, great for teaching children to be kind from a young age.
November 14, 2023
A can't miss book for early readers
October 5, 2023
Thought you knew the story of Jack snd the Beanstalk, well when Estella’s dad is trying to control the bedtime chaos, the story might have a few twists and turns. A fun read aimed at 6-10 year olds, illustrated in just the right kid cartoon style, you can read it to your younger kids and then then center enjoy it themselves.
December 2, 2024
My kids and I enjoyed this as one of our bedtime reads. They loved the graphics and we all took turns reading...if you read this to your kids, then definitely make up a fun voice for the Giant! We loved learning the lesson of why stealing isn't good and it was fun to see how dad, Andrew (Andy when he was younger), wove in the tale of Jack & The Beanstalk along with bringing in other great lessons like why we shouldn't make fun of others. This was a fun read that grabbed our attention and was fun for all of us!
October 12, 2023
I received this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway.
This is an awesome book for Daddies to read to their kids. It is a cute story, written in comic book style. The illustrations and great and very colorful. There is also a section at the end with illustrated knock-knock jokes which is perfect for Dads and their kids.
This is an awesome book for Daddies to read to their kids. It is a cute story, written in comic book style. The illustrations and great and very colorful. There is also a section at the end with illustrated knock-knock jokes which is perfect for Dads and their kids.
October 22, 2023
Thank you Little Brown Books for Young Readers, Little Brown Ink, and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this book. This is an interesting spin on Jack and the Beanstalk story as Dad tells a bedtime story to his daughter with him in Jack’s place. Beautiful pictures and graphic novel format move the story along.
January 17, 2024
I really liked the illustrative style, but the prose was a bit too didactic for me. I really don’t care for authors making it obvious they’re teaching you morals. It should be built into the story. As a mother of 5, I can tell you that kids for sure pick up on the nuance of these conversations without needing a parent to spell it out.
May 2, 2024
Graphic Novel
Clever dad offers his version of Jack and the Beanstalk as a bedtime story. He shares his personal adventure with twists to bring home a lesson with love and fun. By the end, readers see why hot dogs were so important to the characters and a lesson on stealing is gently shared.
The artwork is brightly colored and brings out details in the story.
Clever dad offers his version of Jack and the Beanstalk as a bedtime story. He shares his personal adventure with twists to bring home a lesson with love and fun. By the end, readers see why hot dogs were so important to the characters and a lesson on stealing is gently shared.
The artwork is brightly colored and brings out details in the story.
January 2, 2024
Haha, I love this. Daddy and the Beanstalk is such a great book, both for bedtime and just to give your kiddos. There are some wonderful messages peppered throughout and, best of all, there’s a fox…which is 90% of the reason I picked this up.
Can’t wait to read it with my kids!
Can’t wait to read it with my kids!
November 29, 2023
A fun read for kids and enough subtle humor that grown ups will enjoy reading to their spawn. Even my spawn. And my kids are horrid!
December 3, 2023
A fun retelling of a familiar fairy tale. Parents especially will enjoy the dialogue and recall having familiar conversations with their kiddos.
February 3, 2024
The art was very cute. I liked the concept of the story.
December 10, 2024
This is a good 👍 book 📖 👌
June 20, 2023
I received an ARC of this book for my honest opinion.
Estella loves when her dad tells her stories but she wants them to be real… with a talking fox. This was such a fun book. I loved that Dad is telling the story of himself as Jack, that he is a silly boy, makes mistakes (parents make mistakes as kids, too!), his sister has to save him, and that the giants and kids come to an understanding. A great first book with nice little nuggets of parenting thrown in.
Estella loves when her dad tells her stories but she wants them to be real… with a talking fox. This was such a fun book. I loved that Dad is telling the story of himself as Jack, that he is a silly boy, makes mistakes (parents make mistakes as kids, too!), his sister has to save him, and that the giants and kids come to an understanding. A great first book with nice little nuggets of parenting thrown in.
June 20, 2024
This book is already so beloved and I can't wait to watch it endure. I've heard countless children in our school community talk about sleeping with it at night! It's just so funny and relatable and, thanks to nuanced humor and layered references, appeals to everyone from kindergartners to fourth graders (and their parents). It's a joy to read and to watch your kids read! I cannot recommend enough.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews