Margo's Musings: It's Not Jack and the Beanstalk!

When we walked into the Ashpot Library my little sister, Margo, was immediately drawn to the cover of It’s Not Jack and the Beanstalk. I thought the cover looked great too. I'm a big fan of fairy tales (and not simply the Disney ones, but the real fairy tales), so I was excited to get reading.

This book is a twist on the traditional version of Jack and the Beanstalk that most people are familiar with, which is what makes it such a blast. While the reader is being told the story by the narrator, Jack comments with his thoughts on what is happening. Some of the classic elements are included, but the reader can expect a different ending. 

Margo loved this book because she thought it was funny. I totally agree! Jack’s comments made me laugh, and they put a hilarious spin on the story. Edwardian Taylor's bright illustrations really pop off the page. All of the colors and details give the reader a lot to look at, this was especially interesting when we read the book a second time.

The book even inspired us to do some planting. Although the ground is frozen, and we can’t grow anything outside right now, we did plant some bean seeds we bought at the store. They are on the windowsill in the kitchen, and Margo has made sure to use all kinds of magical phrases to help them grow. Of course, she used the spells from the book on our beans! While I don’t think we'll grow a magic beanstalk since they were regular seeds, it will be fascinating to see what happens. I'm guessing there will be more readings of this book in the future!

Has anyone else read It’s Not Jack and the Beanstalk? Or have you read another book by Josh Funk? We’d love to hear your thoughts!
~ F

Birthing A Book

STORY SEEDS
By Jessica Haight & Stephanie Robinson

It could happen anywhere: when you’re talking on the phone, cooking pancakes, out with friends- time and place never matter. It’s what happens in that space that’s important, and it begins with your inner voice saying,

  

“Wait. What did I just think?”

The burst of knowing you had a brilliant idea for a story stops you in your tracks. You don’t want to forget it, so you shift your sight from out to in- that’s the moment when light sees dark, and insight snaps a picture, like the flash of a camera lighting up a room. When the image comes together, what was unknown becomes known, and voila! 

An idea is sparked.

Peering into the event horizon of infinite possibilities, you’re likely to choose that which suits you- meaning every story has an audience. If you like the idea and it makes you excited, let it flow and the creative process begins.

Words spring from the deep well of thought, lining up in rows, pouring onto blank pages. When the clicking keys stop and the writer's eyes read over them, that flash of insight is realized, and a new book is born!

Cultivating story seeds is serious business though, and not for the faint of heart. As a creator you must be fierce in your conviction to bring your story to life, for a harrowing adventure awaits those who decide to birth a book.

Jessica Haight & Stephanie Robinson
Co-authors of the Fairday Morrow Series

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Skeleton's poetic interpretation on formatting a book