Jack

Illustrated by Tomie dePaola
Beloved author-illustrator Tomie dePaola’s take on traditional “Jack tales”—in which a young hero ventures out to seek his fortune and gains it through luck or pluck—is perfect for preschoolers. His hero’s reward is a wealth of animal friends who increase in number—and volume—as the story progresses. When Jack sets out to see the world and find a place of his own, he’s surprised to attract a following of enthusiastic animal friends eager to join him on his quest. Jack and his entourage all have high hopes that they will find just what they are looking for as they travel on their merry way. Children will delight in the cumulative chorus of animal sounds as the pages get more and more crowded with the residents of this delightful kingdom.
* “[A] small treasure from master storyteller dePaola. . . . Before long he’s assembled a riotous, Bremen Town Musician–like group of animals who moo, bah, oink, and whoo all the way to the city. Their cries, carved on rubber stamps, are scattered on the pages, creating the visual equivalent of a cheerful din. . . . As a bonus, many spreads hide scenes from familiar nursery rhymes, adding to the book’s readaloud charm.” — Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW

“DePaola’s trademark illustrations are warmly inviting and feature many nursery-rhyme characters in the backgrounds. . . . Preschoolers will root for the plucky hero as he pursues his dreams and eagerly chime in with the pleasing repetitive phrases.” — School Library Journal

“A new tale from dePaola is always a reason to cheer, and this riff on “Jack” tale variants will bring smiles. . . . Repeated rubber stamps of each animal’s sound (and individualized colors) add zip (and noise) to dePaola’s signature style and palette. . . . Everyone will enjoy the fun.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Clever riff on a traditional story motif. . . . dePaola embellishes his story with rich visual detail, including vividly colored printed sound effects . . . which afford a visual representation of the burgeoning cacophony. . . . There is an added depth to dePaola’s recognizable style, with a combination of subtly varied textures and brilliant color . . . giving the outing a traditional grounding and a contemporary flair. There goes the neighborhood, and it never looked better.” — Booklist

“Young children will like the simple pattern of the story as well as the cumulating sound effects. . . . DePaola dresses the journey in his most sumptuous colors. . . . Storytime audiences will enjoy the trip as well as the sly cameo appearances by nursery-rhyme favorites.” — The Horn Book

Tomie dePaola was born in Meriden, Connecticut, in 1934, to a family of Irish and Italian background. His determination to create books for children led to a BFA from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, and an MFA from the California College of Arts & Crafts in Oakland, California. 

His particular way with color, line, detail, and design have earned him many of the most prestigious awards in his field, among them a Caldecott Honor Award for Strega Nona, the Smithsonian Medal, the Kerlan Award from the University of Minnesota for his "singular attainment in children's literature," the Catholic Library Association's Regina Medal for his "continued distinguished contribution," and the University of Southern Mississippi Medallion. He was also the 1990 United States nominee for the Hans Christian Andersen Medal for illustration, and received the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for lifetime contribution to children's literature in 2011.

DePaola has published almost 200 children's books in 15 different countries over the past 30 years. Among his most well-known titles are the Strega Nona series, 26 Fairmount Avenue, and The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush.

DePaola lives in an interesting house in New Hampshire with his four dogs. His studio is in a large renovated 200-year-old barn.

View titles by Tomie dePaola

About

Beloved author-illustrator Tomie dePaola’s take on traditional “Jack tales”—in which a young hero ventures out to seek his fortune and gains it through luck or pluck—is perfect for preschoolers. His hero’s reward is a wealth of animal friends who increase in number—and volume—as the story progresses. When Jack sets out to see the world and find a place of his own, he’s surprised to attract a following of enthusiastic animal friends eager to join him on his quest. Jack and his entourage all have high hopes that they will find just what they are looking for as they travel on their merry way. Children will delight in the cumulative chorus of animal sounds as the pages get more and more crowded with the residents of this delightful kingdom.

Reviews

* “[A] small treasure from master storyteller dePaola. . . . Before long he’s assembled a riotous, Bremen Town Musician–like group of animals who moo, bah, oink, and whoo all the way to the city. Their cries, carved on rubber stamps, are scattered on the pages, creating the visual equivalent of a cheerful din. . . . As a bonus, many spreads hide scenes from familiar nursery rhymes, adding to the book’s readaloud charm.” — Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW

“DePaola’s trademark illustrations are warmly inviting and feature many nursery-rhyme characters in the backgrounds. . . . Preschoolers will root for the plucky hero as he pursues his dreams and eagerly chime in with the pleasing repetitive phrases.” — School Library Journal

“A new tale from dePaola is always a reason to cheer, and this riff on “Jack” tale variants will bring smiles. . . . Repeated rubber stamps of each animal’s sound (and individualized colors) add zip (and noise) to dePaola’s signature style and palette. . . . Everyone will enjoy the fun.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Clever riff on a traditional story motif. . . . dePaola embellishes his story with rich visual detail, including vividly colored printed sound effects . . . which afford a visual representation of the burgeoning cacophony. . . . There is an added depth to dePaola’s recognizable style, with a combination of subtly varied textures and brilliant color . . . giving the outing a traditional grounding and a contemporary flair. There goes the neighborhood, and it never looked better.” — Booklist

“Young children will like the simple pattern of the story as well as the cumulating sound effects. . . . DePaola dresses the journey in his most sumptuous colors. . . . Storytime audiences will enjoy the trip as well as the sly cameo appearances by nursery-rhyme favorites.” — The Horn Book

Author

Tomie dePaola was born in Meriden, Connecticut, in 1934, to a family of Irish and Italian background. His determination to create books for children led to a BFA from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, and an MFA from the California College of Arts & Crafts in Oakland, California. 

His particular way with color, line, detail, and design have earned him many of the most prestigious awards in his field, among them a Caldecott Honor Award for Strega Nona, the Smithsonian Medal, the Kerlan Award from the University of Minnesota for his "singular attainment in children's literature," the Catholic Library Association's Regina Medal for his "continued distinguished contribution," and the University of Southern Mississippi Medallion. He was also the 1990 United States nominee for the Hans Christian Andersen Medal for illustration, and received the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for lifetime contribution to children's literature in 2011.

DePaola has published almost 200 children's books in 15 different countries over the past 30 years. Among his most well-known titles are the Strega Nona series, 26 Fairmount Avenue, and The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush.

DePaola lives in an interesting house in New Hampshire with his four dogs. His studio is in a large renovated 200-year-old barn.

View titles by Tomie dePaola