William Joyce (The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore) and debut picture-book artist Kenny Callicutt collaborate on an energetic retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk. From "Once upon a time," when the smallish green bean is introduced, they retell the story in a contemporary tone, with plenty of asides for both adults and children to enjoy.
Jack lives in a kingdom suffering from a drought ("the crops dried up. And the wells dried up, and the rivers and the lakes and the moats and the birdbaths"). The king's pinky has become stinky, so he forces his subjects to cry in order to produce enough tears to wash it. This embarrasses his daughter, so she visits the kingdom's wizard and pleads for help. Once the wizard gets going, magical things begin to happen....
The imprint of Moonbot Studios (where Joyce and Callicutt collaborate) shines throughout this book. Double-page spreads propel the story as the illustrations jump off the page. When the bean finally grows to a beanstalk, readers young and old alike will delight in the sudden explosion. The plumbing high above the clouds invites readers to trace the path water might travel.
A red-headed black bird appears on every page, and Joyce and Callicutt code speech bubbles specific to each character: Bean's are leaf-shaped, and Jack's resemble a combination of his shepherd's crook and a lamb's wooly coat. This sense of detail, combined with signature artwork, sly wit and a familiar story, make this picture book one to read over and over. --Cathy Berner, Blue Willow Bookshop, Houston, Tex.