Kate and the Beanstalk is a recreation of the classic “Jack and the Beanstalk” tale. The central message of this book is knowledge over strength and courage. As Kate faces the giant, she used her wittiness to defeat him.

I liked this book because rather than it being “Jack”, the main character is a female named Kate. This will allow some students to better relate to the character. Another reason I liked this book is because of the illustrations. The illustrator, Giselle Potter, created unique and colorful visuals to go with the text. Another part of the book that was great is how Mary Pope Osbourne used dialogue to tell the story. She also used rhyme and repetition of “Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum’un, I smell the blood of an Englishwoman. Be she alive or be she dead, I’ll grind her bones to make my bread.” These kept readers engaged and is an example of predictable text. ( )

A girl climbs to the top of a giant beanstalk, where she uses her quick wits to outsmart a giant and make her and her mother's fortune.

Mary Pope Osborne's "Kate and the Beanstalk" is a take on the original fairy tale with Jack, except this time Kate takes Jack's place, and she realizes that her father was the prince that the giant had killed. This book would be great for 1st and 2nd graders, looking at comparing the original fairytale to this revised version. For a lesson, I would have the students use the structure of Jack and the beanstalk to create their own ending. By writing their version of the story and talking about the concept of fairytales, readers can understand the creative power of story making, and also how a story is structured with a beginning, middle, and end resolution. ( )

This book switches up the story a bit in that the hero is a heroine! Jack is replaced by Kate! A refreshing take on a familiar old tale. This is a good choice for those of us looking to add diversity to our class library. ( )

Saw this picture book displayed in the library and couldn't resist. This version of the classic makes a lot more sense than the basic traditional version! ( )