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Parents' Guide to

The Book That Jack Wrote

By Peter Lewis, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 6+

An artistically splendid, but dark, circular tale.

Book Jon Scieszka Humor 1994
The Book That Jack Wrote Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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What's the Story?

Jon Scieszka and Daniel Adel take "The House That Jack Built" and transform it into a dark, if artistically splendid, circular tale with the surrealist's odd touch here and there. Cheeky fun for more advanced readers--lots of literary references and sophisticated sight gags here--though they might, unfortunately, feel they're beyond a nursery-rhyme remake.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

Never one to leave anything well enough alone, Jon Scieszka puts a tack on the chair where the nursery rhyme "The House That Jack Built" heretofore comfortably sat. Why, Scieszka seems to wonder, settle for singsong when a little mayhem enlivens the proceedings? But parody ought to choose its targets carefully, and this one sure feels underage.

Most fun here is unraveling the time-space reversals at work. Why is the baby humming a tune wearing a pie for a hat, and what got him so pumped as to toss the cow sailing over the moon? Daniel Adel's paintings are full of Rembrandt light and rich, rich color. The frames painted around the artwork give the impression of deep-dish pies, still hot and ready for the introduction of a fork.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about parody. What does this book parody? Is it funny, or just weird? What other parodies have you read or watched?

Book Details

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