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August House LittleFolk Series
Jack and the Animals: An Appalachian Folktale
When Jack leaves his Appalachian home to seek his fortune, he finds it in a roundabout way. Along the way he assembles a group of traveling companions that includes a dog, a cat, a rooster, a donkey, and a cow. As night falls and they grow hungry, they come upon an abandoned farmhouse ... Or is it?
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
16 people want to read
About the author
Donald Davis
107 books20 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Donald Davis (born 1944) is an American storyteller, author and minister. Davis had a twenty year career as a minister before he became a professional storyteller. He has recorded over 25 storytelling albums and written several books based on those stories. His long career as a teller and his promotion of the cultural importance of storytelling through seminars and master classes has led to Davis being dubbed the "dean of storytelling".
Donald Davis (born 1944) is an American storyteller, author and minister. Davis had a twenty year career as a minister before he became a professional storyteller. He has recorded over 25 storytelling albums and written several books based on those stories. His long career as a teller and his promotion of the cultural importance of storytelling through seminars and master classes has led to Davis being dubbed the "dean of storytelling".
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 30, 2025
Setting out to seek his fortune in this retelling of an Appalachian folktale, young Jack happens upon a series of animals—a cow, dog, cat, donkey and rooster—who have grown old and are unhappy at their seeming uselessness. Each is invited to join Jack on his quest, and the ragtag group eventually find a cabin in the mountains, complete with bags of gold and a meal laid out on the table. Enjoying the repast, Jack and the animals hide when the robbers who had been using the cabin return. Through a series of "meetings" and misunderstandings, the robbers become convinced that monsters have claimed their cabin, and flee, leaving Jack and the animals in possession...
The story in Jack and the Animals bears a striking resemblance to the Brothers Grimm tale concerning The Bremen-town Musicians —something author Donald Davis observes in his afterword—although I was also reminded, in the course of my reading, of the Norwegian folktale, The Cat on the Dovrefell , in which a man and his bear scare off some trolls, while taking shelter in a house on Christmas Eve night. They are different tale types—the one is Type 130 in the Aarne–Thompson–Uther Index, The Animals in Night Quarters; while the other is Type 1161, The Bear Trainer and His Cat—but have the similar theme of unwanted/dangerous residents or guests being driven from a home by animals. In any case, I found this retelling engaging, although I did wonder at author Donald Davis' choice to use a framing device, in which a grandmother tells the story to her grandchildren. Perhaps this was meant as a tribute to Davis' own grandmother, who imparted many tales to him as a child? I've encountered other Jack tales from the Appalachian tradition, and am always meaning to track down more, so I'm glad I happened across this one at my public library. Recommended to young folklore lovers who enjoy somewhat silly stories, as well as to those specifically seeking Jack tales or tales with an Appalachian background.
The story in Jack and the Animals bears a striking resemblance to the Brothers Grimm tale concerning The Bremen-town Musicians —something author Donald Davis observes in his afterword—although I was also reminded, in the course of my reading, of the Norwegian folktale, The Cat on the Dovrefell , in which a man and his bear scare off some trolls, while taking shelter in a house on Christmas Eve night. They are different tale types—the one is Type 130 in the Aarne–Thompson–Uther Index, The Animals in Night Quarters; while the other is Type 1161, The Bear Trainer and His Cat—but have the similar theme of unwanted/dangerous residents or guests being driven from a home by animals. In any case, I found this retelling engaging, although I did wonder at author Donald Davis' choice to use a framing device, in which a grandmother tells the story to her grandchildren. Perhaps this was meant as a tribute to Davis' own grandmother, who imparted many tales to him as a child? I've encountered other Jack tales from the Appalachian tradition, and am always meaning to track down more, so I'm glad I happened across this one at my public library. Recommended to young folklore lovers who enjoy somewhat silly stories, as well as to those specifically seeking Jack tales or tales with an Appalachian background.
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August 7, 2020Fairy Tale Friday. Facebook LIVE 2020. Appalachian tale about Jack finding a bunch of crying farm animals and encouraging them to join him on his journey to find his fortune. One animal too many for my taste, good over all.
March 16, 2010
A story about a young boy named Jack, this book follows him throughout his quest for a fortune. Along the way, he encounters numerous animals that he invites to come with. Eventually they come upon a robber’s home and actually find his fortune.
As Jack sets out on his adventure, he invites different animals who feel they are too old to do anything else. Eventually these animals help Jack to scare a robber out of his home and seal Jack’s fortune. This shows the reader that no matter how old you are, you can still be useful in particular situations. I think this is an important lesson for any reader. The illustrations throughout the book range from very peaceful, pastel colored portraits to not so child-appropriate as the animals enter the robber’s home. Overall, it is a pretty good book for any audience that is willing to except being taught a lesson as they read.
As Jack sets out on his adventure, he invites different animals who feel they are too old to do anything else. Eventually these animals help Jack to scare a robber out of his home and seal Jack’s fortune. This shows the reader that no matter how old you are, you can still be useful in particular situations. I think this is an important lesson for any reader. The illustrations throughout the book range from very peaceful, pastel colored portraits to not so child-appropriate as the animals enter the robber’s home. Overall, it is a pretty good book for any audience that is willing to except being taught a lesson as they read.
October 16, 2009
I really like the illustrations in Jack and the Animals. All of the pictures were done with watercolors and were full of great detail. The color scheme was warm and reflected the mood appropriately in a way that went along with the text. The obvious brush strokes add texture to the pictures in a way that is very enjoyable. The endpages have a very intricate design that foreshadows what is yet to come in the following pages. The story itself was a not as intriguing as the pictures, but I do feel that young children would enjoy the animals that are portrayed in it.
January 21, 2016
A Jack tale where Jack leaves with a group of animals to seek their fortune.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews