Kate and the Beanstalk - Softcover

Mary Pope Osborne

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0439305772 ISBN 13: 9780439305778

Publisher: Scholastic, 2001

Synopsis

""I smell the blood of an Englishwoman. Be she alive or be she dead, I'll grind her bones to make my bread.""

Mary Pope Osborne's funny, magical retelling of a favorite tale and Giselle Potter's enchanting illustrations feature Kate, a new and inspiring heroine for today's audience. Readers will cheer on this resorceful, gutsy girl as she outsmarts the famously greedy giant.

About this title

Review:

A clever twist on a classic fairy tale, Mary Pope Osborne and Giselle Potter's Kate and the Beanstalk stars a whip-smart girl instead of traditionally lazy, not-so-bright Jack. Osborne's telling (aside from the gender switch) remains fairly faithful to the original: the hungry mother sends her child out to sell the cow, the cow is traded for magic beans, the angry mother tosses the beans out the window, a beanstalk grows, the hero(ine) climbs it, and vanquishes the evil giant, winning treasure in the process. A surprise ending (for Kate, anyway... astute readers may guess the outcome) gives the tale an extra jolt of happily-ever-after. It's Potter's remarkably original illustrations that make this version stand out, however. Rich yet muted tones invite the eye to linger over the flat pictures of oval-headed Kate (in her various disguises), the creepy, droopy-lipped giant, and the rest. Potter's award-winning illustrations have appeared in The Honest-To-Goodness Truth and Gabriella's Song, while the ever-popular Osborne is best known for her Magic Tree House series. (Ages 4 to 10) --Emilie Coulter

About the Author:

Mary Pope Osborne is the award-winning author of many distinguished books for children and young adults, including the bestselling Magic Treehouse series; Favorite Medieval Tales, illustrated by Troy Howell; American Tall Tales, illustrated by Michael McCurdy; Rocking Horse Christmas, illustrated by Ned Bittinger; and Adaline Falling Star. The former president of the Author's Guild, she lives in New York City with her husband, Will.

Giselle Potter has illustrated many books, including Kate and the Beanstalk by Mary Pope Osborne, an ALA-ALSC notable book; The Boy Who Loved Words by Roni Schotter, a Parents’ Choice Gold Award winner; and Cecil the Pet Glacier by Matthea Harvey. She is the author and illustrator of Tell Me What to Dream About and This Is My Dollhouse—both inspired by her daughters—and The Year I Didn't Go to School, about traveling through Italy with her parents’ puppet troupe when she was eight. Giselle also illustrates a weekly column called “Ties” for The New York Times. She lives in Rosendale, New York, with her husband and two daughters. Visit her online at GisellePotter.com.

About this edition

• Publisher: Scholastic
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0439305772
• ISBN 13: 9780439305778
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Illustrator: Giselle Potter