Jack and the Beanstalk

Jack and the Beanstalk
Retold by Dr. Alvin Granowsky
Illustrations by Linda Graves
Traditional Literature


This is the story about a boy named Jack who lived with his mother in a small house and had little money.  They had a garden and a cow but eventually the garden was empty and the cow did not have milk.  Jackson mom told him to go to the market and sell the cow so they could have money to buy food.  Jack did what his mom told him but along the way a man talked him into selling him the cow for some magic beans.  Jack's mom was not happy so she threw the beans out the window.  They went to sleep without eating.  The next morning Jack saw a giant bean stalk on the side of the house and climbed it.  He came to a place where a giant lived and knocked on the door.  A giant lady opened the door and Jack asked for something to eat.  She gave him bread and told him to hurry before her giant husband arrived and eat him.  Suddenly the giant got to the house and smelled Jack. The giant's wife told him it was his food. The giant ate then looked at his gold coins, and so did Jack. When the giant fell asleep Jack took the hold coins and climbed down the bean stalk to show his mother.  They live well for a while but then the coins started running out so he went back for more.  The second time he brought down a chicken that laid golden eggs.  His mother and Jack lived well for a while but then he wanted more so he went back up the bean stalk.  This time he took a harp while the giant slept but the harp cried out for help so the giant started chasing Jack as Jack ran down the bean stalk.  Jack cried  out to his mother to get the ax and cut the Beanstalk and as a result the giant crashed on the ground.  Jack and his mother lived happily ever after.


I would use this book in my class room because it will help the children open their mind and let it travel to the world of Jack.  I think this book would be appropriate for a K-2nd  grade level.  I would read it out loud and have the children do an alternative ending to the story so they can work on higher level thinking.