5 Fantastic Jack and the Beanstalk Retellings
Once upon a time, a boy traded a cow for a handful of magic beans…
Or so the story goes most of the time anyways. The classic children’s story of Jack and the bean stalk has been told so many times, that the story itself has even begun to change in the process.
Personally, I always had a bit of moral trouble with the story of Jack and the Beanstalk.
I mean, he does invade the giant’s home and steal all his prized possessions. I’m pretty sure that if a tiny pest came in to my home and started walking off with my gold, I would want to grind his bones to make my bread too.
Still, Jack and the Beanstalk is a classic story passed down for generations.
And the trick with classic stories like jack and the beanstalk is that the story takes on a new life with every single retelling. The story can be closely adapted over and over to suit the needs of the reader.
Here are my top five favorite Jack and the Beanstalk retellings for kids:
Jack’s Giant Problem
No, it’s not just because Katie Pye is the Featured Author this month. This one may actually be my favorite adaptation of this story to date. It calls into question Jack’s selfish actions. I feel much more comfortable sharing this version with my child. This new version of Jack and the Beanstalk stands on much better moral ground and has my seal of approval.
Stinky Jack and the Beanstalk
This one comes to us from Steve Smallman, who also penned “Who’s Bad and Who’s Good, Little Red Riding Hood?”. This book takes the story in a different direction, focusing the story on Jack’s personal hygiene. Smallman does a decent job of incorporating lessons into his fairy tale adaptations. I think I’m going to be reading quite a few more of these great kids books with moral lessons to my son in the future.
Jellybeans for Giants
This fun and different take on the Jack and the Beanstalk story is part of the “George’s Amazing Adventures” series by Adam Guillain. Instead of Jack, we follow George, and instead of magic beans we have Jelly Beans. It’s a cute departure from the original story.
Trust Me, Jack’s Beanstalk Stinks!
This story is part of an anthology series called “The Other Side of the Story” which takes a look at the “true story” as told by the villains. This one, naturally, focuses on the giant’s side of the story. I enjoyed that this retelling builds a bit of empathy for the poor giant. I liked that this version helped start a discussion about different perspectives, and didn’t condone Jack’s thievery.
It’s Not Jack and the Beanstalk
Josh Funk’s silly take on the classic children’s story is available on Kindle Unlimited. It has a word bubble style of storytelling and updates the story for a new generation.
Whichever retelling of the story is your favorite, one thing is for sure.
Jack and the Beanstalk isn’t going anywhere. This classic childhood fairytale is going to outlive all of us.
What do you think?
Do you have a favorite version of Jack and the Beanstalk?
Is Jack a hero or a thief?
