Jack and the Beanstalk

“Beans—that’s all you’ve got in your head, you nincompoop!” laments Jack’s mother when her son sets the classic tale in motion with a seemingly foolish bovine transaction. But the visually enchanting resultant beanstalk—a vine of huge layered leaves extending to a tiny, glowing castle—provides multitudes. As the story unfolds, folk-style characters rendered in simple shapes and radiant garb pop from inky backgrounds. Jack’s journeys up and down the beanstalk, and the giant’s spectacular (figurative and literal) downfall feel like the story’s visual centerpieces—the latter image finds the behemoth falling mid-air while a diminutive Jack slices through the stalk’s base. The conclusion elevates the message beyond one of opportunism, assuring readers that Jack and his mother use the giant’s bounty to ensure that “no one in the village would be hungry ever again.” There’s undeniable enchantment in this work from the previous collaborators (Aesop’s Fables): Rosen’s unsentimental but always theatrical voice, and Hacikyan’s stained-glass-like visuals replant a familiar folktale in rich imaginative ground, showing how old stories can continue to yield new growth. Character skin tones vary throughout. Ages 3–5. (June)