The legendary “Jack and the Beanstalk” story reportedly originated 5,000 years ago and has been retold countless times in various mediums. Award-winning artist and writer Ben Hatke provides his take on the traditional fairy tale by weaving fantasy and reality together in a seamless tale fit for all ages.
Here is the general synopsis:
Jack might be the only kid in the world who’s dreading summer. But he’s got a good reason: summer is when his single mom takes a second job and leaves him at home to watch his autistic kid sister, Maddy. It’s a lot of responsibility, and it’s boring, too, because Maddy doesn’t talk. Ever. But then, one day at the flea market, Maddy does talk―to tell Jack to trade their mom’s car for a box of mysterious seeds. It’s the best mistake Jack has ever made.
In Mighty Jack, what starts as a normal little garden out back behind the house quickly grows up into a wild, magical jungle with tiny onion babies running amok, huge, pink pumpkins that bite, and, on one moonlit night that changes everything…a dragon.
Hatke’s art is stunning and his characters are memorable. Mighty Jack is technically set within the same world as Hatke’s best-selling series Zita and the Spacegirl and integrates characters from the series is an enjoyable way.
Mighty Jack provides entertainment for both young and old and is a perfect graphic novel for the whole family. His characters are relatable and speak to our own struggles.
The story continues in Mighty Jack: The Goblin King and similarly leads readers into an immersive world that is full of fantasy, adventure and heart.
Both graphic novels are highly recommended and perfect additions to anyone’s library.
