Trust Me, Jack's Beanstalk Stinks!

December 1, 2011

Gr 1-3-These retellings of classic tales illustrate the concept of "point of view." They acknowledge and play on reader expectations: "People think it's easy being a giant." "The wicked stepmother? Not true. It's just another one of Cinderella's wild stories." Glib, colloquial texts and bright, cartoon-style illustrations create an ironic, knowing atmosphere. While it's an amusing trick, and makes a good teaching tool, the power of the original stories is lost in translation. These titles do not stand alone as literature as does Jon Scieszka's The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! (Viking, 1989), but will be welcomed in creative-writing classes. End matter includes questions on how point of view changes the story, suggested reading, and (somewhat vague) instructions for accessing more information online.-Heidi Estrin, Feldman Children's Library at Congregation B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, FL

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