Trust Me, Jack's Beanstalk Stinks!

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