Jack and the Baked Beanstalk
on Goodreads (451)
What’s inside...
Jack and his mom run a struggling café and are nearly broke. When Jack trades their last pennies for a can of baked beans and his mother throws it out the window, it grows into a gigantic beanstalk overnight. Jack climbs the beanstalk to a giant's castle, where the giant spends all his time counting money. Jack convinces the giant to find a more enjoyable activity, which ultimately helps save their café. In a 1950's-style future, Jack and his mum run a little burger cafe. They are close to broke, so when Jack buys a can of baked beans with their last pennies, his mother throws it out of the window - starting a GIGANTIC baked beanstalk adventure! Colin Stimpson sets his version of Jack and the Beanstalk in a futuristic 1950s America, with skyscrapers surrounding the flyover under which Jack and his mother run a café, and a vintage framing to the illustrations. When the flyover threatens their café, Jack's mother sends him to buy the best coffee beans to attract new customers, but he buys baked beans instead. His mother throws them out, yet after climbing the resulting beanstalk, he finds a giant whose cooking skills save the business. A delightful, comic twist on a traditional tale.
Series reading
Non-Sequential
Age
3-7
Length
40 pages
Text complexity
Discussion points
How do you think Jack felt when he saw the beanstalk for the first time? What would you do if you were in his shoes?
What do you think is the most important lesson Jack learned from his adventure?
Why do you think Jack decided to trade his cow for beans? Would you have made the same decision?
How did Jack's actions affect the other characters in the story? What can we learn from this?
If you could add another character to the story, who would it be and why?
Tip: Role play these questions
Use expressive reading to bring the characters to life. This helps spark interest and imagination.
Pause after crucial plot developments to ask your child what they think might happen next, fostering predictive skills.
Relate the story to your child's experiences, such as discussing a time when they had to make a difficult decision.
Encourage your child to describe their favorite part of the book and why it stood out to them, this promotes articulation skills.
After reading, engage in a creative activity like drawing scenes from the book. This helps reinforce the story and its themes.
Key lessons
Example Lesson: Resourcefulness and Innovation
Explanation: In 'Jack and the Baked Beanstalk,' Jack creatively uses magical beans to save his family’s struggling café, demonstrating the power of thinking outside the box.
Real-World Application: Children can learn to use creativity to solve problems in their daily life, whether it's finding a new way to organize their toys or coming up with a fun game when they're bored.
Example Lesson: Perseverance
Explanation: Jack faces numerous challenges on his journey up the beanstalk, but his determination helps him overcome them and ultimately succeed.
Real-World Application: This story encourages children to keep trying even when tasks get difficult, teaching them the value of persistence in school work, sports, and relationships.
Example Lesson: Environmental Awareness
Explanation: The magical setting of the story can lead to discussions about the importance of nature and our environment, reflected in the fantastical world Jack explores.
Real-World Application: Children can be encouraged to take care of plants or engage in recycling projects, fostering an early respect and care for the environment.
Example Lesson: Economic Concepts
Explanation: Jack's initial investment in the beans and the subsequent growth of his business in the tale can be seen as a basic introduction to business and economic principles.
Real-World Application: This can prompt discussions with children about money, saving, and the basics of how a business works, perhaps encouraging them to start a small project of their own like a lemonade stand.
Example Lesson: Courage and Facing Fears
Explanation: Jack bravely climbs the beanstalk, facing unknown giants and obstacles. His courage is central to his character and success.
Real-World Application: Children can learn to face their own fears and understand that being brave doesn't mean not being scared, it means doing something despite being scared, such as trying new activities or standing up for themselves or others.