Jack and the Beanstalk

Though his text remains true to the popular version of this English fairy tale, Kellogg's ( Paul Bunyan ; Pecos Bill ) typically antic art gives this rendition a visual dimension that is uniquely his. Created with colored inks, watercolors and acrylics, the full-page illustrations have extraordinary texture and dimension. With a mouthful of pointy teeth and warts covering his scaly green face, Kellogg's villain is a truly horrid fellow who may in fact be a wee bit scary for fainthearted little ones--it's easy to believe that this giant eats little boys for breakfast. Slightly less menacing (though hardly comely) is his wife, who wears a necklace of tiny skeletons and hides Jack from her hungry husband. The pictures' variegated gold and bronze hues effectively cast an ominous glow over the ogre's palace. The art also features diverting details that youngsters may miss the first time around, which is one of many good reasons to read this book more than once. All ages. (Oct.)