Jack and the Baked Beanstalk
by Colin Stimpson
Interest age: 6+
Reading age: 7+
Published by Templar, 2012
About this book
Stimpson sets his version of Jack and the Beanstalk in 1950s America, with skyscrapers surrounding the flyover under which Jack and his mother run a café, and iconic cars and clothing of the time. Many of the images are framed liked photos or film clips, with a pervasive sepia tint to the colouration, emphasising the period setting.
Threatened by the flyover and the closure of their means of livelihood, Jack's mother sends him to buy the best quality coffee beans in the hope that this will attract new customers. He buys baked beans instead, so his mother throws them out, but climbing the resulting beanstalk he finds a giant whose cooking skills save the business. A delightful, comic twist on a traditional tale.
More books like this
-
Snow White in New York
by Fiona French
4 to 9 years
-
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs
by Jon Scieszka, illustrated by Lane Smith
5 to 9 years
-
The Flying Feminist
by Mary Boone, illustrated by Andrea Turk
5 to 9 years
-
Where Are You, Eddie?
by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Gill Smith
4 to 9 years
Lists of recommended reads
-
Modern Fairy Tales for 5-8 Year Olds
Enjoy some of our favourite retellings of classic fairytales for 5-8 year olds. These clever and often humorous books will engage children with their witty takes on old tales.
-
Twisted fairy tales
We all know children love fairy tales, however there's only so many times you can read the same tale (hopefully). Here's a list of some of our favourite twisted fairy tales - fun and anarchic new takes on traditional stories.