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earth_and_silver's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
alessandra_johnson's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Fearsome Giant, Fearless Child written by Paul Fleischman in 2019 was very fast paced, so much so I had a hard time keeping up with what was happening. The story kept switching from character to character, a giant, a witch, an ogre, the devil. It was complicated to know exactly what was happening and where the boy got his powers or why he was being chased by everyone. It was dark for most children, meant for older elementary ages and not for those easily scared because there are depictions of murder.
readingthroughtheages's review against another edition
I had a hard time following the narrative in this one. The illustrations and different countries distracting me. I tried reading it just focusing on the words, but the transitions, or lack of, kept me from understanding the story. This is one I think I may need to hear more about to fully understand.
books_n_pickles's review against another edition
2.0
Doesn't quite live up to the delight that is [b:Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal: A Worldwide Cinderella|690483|Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal A Worldwide Cinderella|Paul Fleischman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1317066259l/690483._SX50_.jpg|676828]. I suspect that Fleischman wanted to create a boy-oriented equivalent for those who won't buy "princess" stories for boys, and as a result this tale feels a little more cobbled together than GSGS.
I was particularly thrown twice: first, when some of the "fearless child"'s siblings popped into the story apparently along for the ride instead of waiting back home for the child's triumphant return--I even checked to be sure I hadn't missed a page; and second, at the end when a princess mentioned nowhere else wishes for an inch-tall character to become average-height, implying a romantic ending that doesn't quite fit with the "child" theme.
It was also a little disappointing that "fearless child" is genderless and the introduction mentions "Molly Whuppie", but there didn't seem to be a girl child in the mix. Granted, there's no reason why most of the children pictured couldn't just as easily be boys as girls, but that does require a bit more imagination.
Paschkis's illustrations are, as always, absolutely stunning. I wish I had my copy of GSGS with me for comparison, but it looks like she again looked to the local cultures of the stories for inspiration. This works better with the versions of the stories not set in northern and central Europe, which have more distinct styles and settings than, say, England, France, Germany, and Denmark do. Perhaps true to its melting pot/tossed salad nature, the full-page spread inspired by a U.S. version of the story looks more like a mix of a couple styles than anything really distinct. I guess I should count my blessings that the page wasn't nationalistic red-white-and-blue!
A decent story and a beautiful book, but not one I feel compelled to save for my fairy tale picture book collection.
I was particularly thrown twice: first, when some of the "fearless child"'s siblings popped into the story apparently along for the ride instead of waiting back home for the child's triumphant return--I even checked to be sure I hadn't missed a page; and second, at the end when a princess mentioned nowhere else wishes for an inch-tall character to become average-height, implying a romantic ending that doesn't quite fit with the "child" theme.
It was also a little disappointing that "fearless child" is genderless and the introduction mentions "Molly Whuppie", but there didn't seem to be a girl child in the mix. Granted, there's no reason why most of the children pictured couldn't just as easily be boys as girls, but that does require a bit more imagination.
Paschkis's illustrations are, as always, absolutely stunning. I wish I had my copy of GSGS with me for comparison, but it looks like she again looked to the local cultures of the stories for inspiration. This works better with the versions of the stories not set in northern and central Europe, which have more distinct styles and settings than, say, England, France, Germany, and Denmark do. Perhaps true to its melting pot/tossed salad nature, the full-page spread inspired by a U.S. version of the story looks more like a mix of a couple styles than anything really distinct. I guess I should count my blessings that the page wasn't nationalistic red-white-and-blue!
A decent story and a beautiful book, but not one I feel compelled to save for my fairy tale picture book collection.
maidmarianlib's review
3.0
Interesting mashup of Jack the Giant Killer stories from around the world, love the multi-cultural illustrations but the story does not flow very well with so many elements
ms_johnson11's review
3.0
I read this and while I didn't hate it, I didn't love it.
I understand that the book was trying to piece together the different versions of the Jack and the Beanstalk story as they vary from area to area. It jumped around too much for me and I had a hard time following.
I received this for my library as part of our Junior Library Guild selection. I am interested to see what my students think of it when they return from summer break.
I understand that the book was trying to piece together the different versions of the Jack and the Beanstalk story as they vary from area to area. It jumped around too much for me and I had a hard time following.
I received this for my library as part of our Junior Library Guild selection. I am interested to see what my students think of it when they return from summer break.
tashrow's review
5.0
This is the third book by this author and illustrator pair that looks at worldwide stories and myths focused around a single type of story. In this picture book, they look at the prevalence of underdogs and fearlessness in the face of danger from around the world. Fleischman takes elements from stories from around the world and weaves them together into a multi-stranded story that pays homage to the differences in the tales while at the same time noting their similarities. Stories are pulled from Denmark, Italy, Ethiopia, Japan, Russia, Mongolia, Indonesia, England and several other countries. Together they tell the story of a young person who stands up to power and greed, often proving his own family wrong along the way. These are stories that will make you cheer for the child and their worth.
A master storyteller, Fleischman manages to create a singular story here while never taking away the signature pieces from each of the countries. Some pages have multiple threads that appear together on the page, noting the differences. Other pages carry the story forward, offering unique elements from that country’s version of the story. Along the way, there are ogres, kings, monsters, horses, bulls, jewels and harps. Still, the entire story works as a whole as well, creating a riveting tale of ingenuity.
Paschkis has created enthralling illustrations that tell each thread of the story in turn. The illustrations are framed by images that represent the country the story comes from. The Chilean pages has boars and guinea pigs. The Greek page is done in the signature blue and white with fish. At times, the images flow together just as the stories do to create a unique whole that still works as separate images.
Cleverly written and designed, this is one for every library. Appropriate for ages 4-7.
A master storyteller, Fleischman manages to create a singular story here while never taking away the signature pieces from each of the countries. Some pages have multiple threads that appear together on the page, noting the differences. Other pages carry the story forward, offering unique elements from that country’s version of the story. Along the way, there are ogres, kings, monsters, horses, bulls, jewels and harps. Still, the entire story works as a whole as well, creating a riveting tale of ingenuity.
Paschkis has created enthralling illustrations that tell each thread of the story in turn. The illustrations are framed by images that represent the country the story comes from. The Chilean pages has boars and guinea pigs. The Greek page is done in the signature blue and white with fish. At times, the images flow together just as the stories do to create a unique whole that still works as separate images.
Cleverly written and designed, this is one for every library. Appropriate for ages 4-7.
gardenjess's review
5.0
A "worldwide story" - the author retells a familiar story with each page containing one or more versions of that part of the story. Very creative, and I loved the illustrations.
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