CALAMITY JACK

Hale, Shannon, and Dean Hale.  Calamity Jack.  Ill. by Nathan Hale.  New York:  Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2010.  ISBN 978-1-59990-076-6.

 

Plot Summary

Jack is a boy whose wild schemes, although concocted to help his widowed mother, always get him in endless trouble.  After destroying the buildings in his neighborhood, Jack searches for a way to make things right.
 

Critical Analysis

The two main protagonists in the Hale's version of Jack and the Bean Stalk are Jack and Rapunzel.  Aside from the fact that Jack climbs a beanstalk and battles giants, he is an ordinary young man who loves his mother dearly.  In his youth, Jack walked on the shady side of the street.  His nickel-and-dime thieveries got him into hot water, but that didn't slow his desire to plan the next big caper.  Rapunzel is the Old West version of Wonder Woman as she uses her severed braided hair as a lasso to fight the bad guys.  Although Jack is the man with the plan, it is usually Rapunzel who is able to save Jack from himself. 

The antagonist is Blunderboar, a giant who lives in a floating penthouse.  The reader is drawn into this fantasy world of carnivorous giants, two-timing fairies, and deceptive ant people.  The only slight criticism might be in the artwork involving Blunderboar.  In the beginning of the book, the head of Jack's mother reached well past the bottom of Blunderboar's vest.  In a scene near the end of the book, her head merely reaches to the midway point of Blunderboar's thigh.  Although this isn't exactly the characterization of the giant, the mental picture of each character should be consistent throughout the book.  The great variation in height tarnished the believability of the giant.  As a side note, the illustrator's inclusion of a rendition of his library, where he worked on the illustrations for this book, on the top of page 21 was appreciated from a professional point-of-view.

Jack's main goal throughout the book is to help his widowed mother.  She works tirelessly at her bakery and struggles to make ends meet.  Jack's scheming ways generally end up with him getting into trouble and his mother wondering where she went wrong in rearing him.  When one of Jack's more notorious schemes ends up destroying the buildings in his neighborhood, including his mother's bakery, he runs away.  Later, with the support of Rapunzel, Jack returns to fix the wrongs he created.  However, the town he left is not the town to which he returns.  Blunderboar has taken over the city in an effort to protect it from the dreaded ant people.  The city lies in ruins and the people closest to Jack are in danger.  When Jack's mother is taken captive by Blunderboar, Jack comes up with a plan to rescue his mother.  As with all his other schemes in the past, his plan fails.  What happens next?  Read the book to find out!

The setting is as believable as any author can make a city lined with fairies, ant people, and giants.  Perhaps because Jack and the Beanstalk is such an accepted and well-loved fairytale, it was not hard to believe that a bean stalk would be the logical thing to use to get into the giant's lair.  The illustrations of Jack and Rapunzel hunkered down in Prudence's fairy house help remind the viewer that as big as the giants are to humans, the humans are giants to the fairies.  Whether the story was on the train, in the sewers, or in the floating penthouse, the Hale's storytelling, coupled with the illustrations, gave the reader plenty of literal and implied visual clues to make this fantasy world become reality, if only within the pages of the book.

The theme of the love of family rings true throughout this book.  Readers, young and old alike, can appreciate and relate to wanting the acceptance of a parent and/or a significant other.  Jack tries everything to prove that he is worthy of the affection of his mother and Rapunzel.  It is only by being honest about himself that he finds self-worth and is able to accept the love of those around him.

Much of the book involves conversations between the characters with some narration from Jack.  There are many invented terms and fanciful characters in this story:  Blunderboar, cocky 'wocks, screaming brownies, wee waddlepuppies, coney-hackets, rapscallions,  and bum-skeeters.  Although the reader is unfamiliar with these terms, they become accepted as a matter-of-fact way of referring to this character or that monster. 

Some of the character's lines reveal their philosophies on life:

Jack:  "I think of myself as a criminal mastermind ...

...with an unfortunate amount of bad luck."

 

Rapunzel:  "I'm from out west, but bad guys

are the same no matter where you are."

Jack discovers in the end that it is love and family
~ instead of riches ~
 that brings lasting happiness. 

 

Jack:  "Momma, I just want you to know, I'm done with the stealing and scheming, forever.  I'm one of the good guys.

 

Jack's mother:  "Yes, you are.  Your poppa would be proud."

 

Jack:  She touched my cheek and something inside me slid back into place.  Something broken didn't hurt anymore.

 

Love can restore what money can never buy. 

 

Awards and Honors

Junior Library Guild Selection
YALSA Great Graphic Novel, 2011
Texas Maverick Graphic Novel
SLJ Best Comic for Kids, 2011
Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year, starred for Outstanding Merit
Utah Book Award for best children's book, 2011
Shortlisted for the Lincolnshire Young People Book Award (UK)
Children's Choices Reading List selection, 2011
Popular Paperback for Young Adults (YALSA), 2013

 

Review Excerpts

"The swashbuckling plot shines in the graphic-novel format... Easily as strong as the first entry, this steampunk-flavored fairy tale will appeal to boy-, girl-, reluctant- and eager readers alike."  The Horn Book

"The urban setting suits this retelling of the familiar beanstalk tale; Nathan Hale's art gives it a steampunk twist, and the addition of fairy-tale creatures like giants and pixies is natural and convincing. Shannon and Dean Hale have done an excellent job stretching the bones of the traditional fable into a high-action coming-of-age story that will keep young teen readers excited and engaged."  Booklist

"[T]his fantastic yarn has something for everyone... Readers will relish this gleeful mix of fairy tale, adventure and romance."  Kirkus Reviews

"truly refreshing and fun...Nathan Hale (no relation) continues to draw in a clear and energetic style equally suited to the steampunk city as to the Wild West. Fans of the previous book will be happy to see this new installment, which should handily garner new fans as well."  VOYA

"...a charming update of Jack and Beanstalk... The dynamic artwork fits well with Jack and Rapunzel's quick tongues, as they flirt their way through numerous hair-raising situations."  Publishers Weekly

"Nathan Hale's artwork again places the action in a fairy-tale version of the American West, now with the city as backdrop. His character sketches are delightfully expressive, and the book has the same rich palette as the previous story. It should satisfy readers who enjoy adventure, fairy tales, and anyone who loves a rogue."  School Library Journal

"Once again authors (and spouses) Shannon and Dean Hale have concocted a story that will have readers on the edge of their seats. The beautifully drawn illustrations by Nathan Hale (no relation) add verve, detail and humor to the story."  The Washington Post

"Readers will still be caught up by Shannon and Dean Hale's terrific use of language and good sense of pacing... They understand the comic medium and use it to its fullest potential, never making the mistake of allowing their words to say too much at a time in which Nathan Hale's art could be doing the work. For his part, his art walks the fine line of being terrific for younger readers and yet not too young for older ones... Readers in grades 5 and up will thrill at Jack and Rapunzel's most recent adventures."  GraphicNovelReporter

"This GN was so much fun that just writing this review makes me want to read it again! Batten down the hatches and tie up the dirigiblesÐ this is one wild ride."  ReadingRants.org

"Rapunzel's Revenge and Calamity Jack are a librarian's dream come true! The Hales combine witty dialogue, action and adventure, beautiful detailed artwork and lots of humor to create the perfect graphic novel."  GreenBeanTeenQueen.com

"I had one of those brilliant and painful moments upon reaching the end of this comic. I hated finishing it. I hated it because I was totally conscious that I could never again read Calamity Jack for the first time, no matter how much I might enjoy it on the second, third and twentieth time. So I shouted at the torrential sky, "WHY CAN'T ALL COMICS BE THIS GOOD?" and then sank into a puddle, sobbing. "Why, God. Why?"  Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show

"This Western/steampunk/fairy tale combo is packed full of adventure, is loads of fun, and has broad appeal for all readers."  School Library Journal Best Comics committee

 

Other Books by Shannon Hale

 

Book of a Thousand Days
Princess Academy
The  Goose Girl 

Visit her website for more information:  http://www.squeetus.com/stage/main.html

Book Connections

Rapunzel's Revenge (prequel to Calamity Jack) by Shannon and Dean Hale

Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman

Giants by John Malam

Connection Activities

 

• Read different versions of Jack and the Beanstalk (e.g. Crazy Jack by Donna Jo Napoli, Foolish Jack and The Bean Stack by Laurence Anholt, and Cinderella and the Beanstalk by Hilary Robinson).  Contrast the versions and have students list what they think are the pros and cons of each story.
• Divide the class into groups and have them create their own version of Jack and the Beanstalk.