The Giant and the Beanstalk

[library_mama]

The Giant and the Beanstalk by Diane Stanley Otto is a gentle giant who, most improperly, chooses a sweet little hen for his pet instead of a fierce dragon. When Jack steals it, Otto chases him down the beanstalk to get his pet back. Jack’s mother is shocked at her son’s behavior, and sends the giant into town to find him. “Just look for Jack,” she says. Poor Otto has a hard time – not only do his looks put people off, but there are an amazing number of Jacks out there, jumping over candlesticks, falling down hills, and so on. This is delightful not only for turning the story around, but also as a puzzle to recognize the nursery rhymes for children, identified in the back, and the recognizably close imitations of medieval art for adults.