Fearsome Giant, Fearless Child: A Worldwide Jack and the Beanstalk Story by Julie Paschkis, Paul Fleischman
Published by Henry Holt & Company on April 23, 2019
ISBN: 1250151775
Pages: 40
Genres: Folklore
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads

Common threads can often be found in the stories that cultures tell their children, and the theme of a small child overcoming obstacles and defeating a giant monster can be found in countless folklore spanning the globe. Like Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal, which presented a global re-telling of the Cinderella story, author Paul Fleischman and illustrator Julie Paschkis reunite in another picture book that explores this concept of universal storytelling by loosely presenting one linear story but alternating page-by-page to different multicultural renditions of that story, picking up roughly where the last page left off, with captions indicating where that portion of the story can be found, such as Indonesia, France, Russia, etc. In this case, many readers will likely be familiar with the traditional story of Jack and the Beanstalk, but we are also introduced to other elements, such as a Gambian witch, a Mongolian jewel, a Chilean forest, etc. For example, the antagonist will change suddenly from an ogre to a witch, depending on where in the world the story is now taking place. If it sounds confusing, unfortunately it’s because it is, with the narrative shifting just enough between pages that make for a confusing read-aloud, with the reader likely wondering if perhaps they’ve skipped a page or if consecutive pages were misplaced. The gouache illustrations are vibrant and appealing, influenced by the cultures represented across the pages, but ultimately the execution falls a little flat as a story that can be enjoyed as a read-aloud. Grades K-2.

Reviewed by Kat Luedke, Long Island Community Library