Jangles

Jangles: A Big Fish Story
by David Shannon

No one has ever caught the legendary fish Jangles, but many have tried!   A young boy recounts the incredulous tales his father has told him about the amazing Jangles, a huge trout residing deep in Big Lake.   His father tells him of numerous attempts to catch the famous local fish, from the use of entire turkeys as bait to throwing dynamite into the water to lure the enormous trout out!    Despite the many attempts to catch Jangles,  no one had been successful.   That is, until one fateful day when the boy's father had an unusual, memorable encounter with the famous trout that changed his life.

   This entertaining story is a great book to use to help teach about tall tales.   I recently shared this book with some of my classes and we discussed the use of exaggeration when telling tall tales.   As always, David Shannon's illustrations are wonderful!

Puss in Boots

Puss in Boots
by Jerry Pinkney

A clever cat outsmarts many to bring riches to his master in this retelling of a classic tale.   When Benjamin inherits a cat from his father, he wonders how he will survive on such as small inheritance.  However, the tricky cat quickly proves his value to Benjamin by bringing him more wealth and prestige than he could ever imagine.

 Jerry Pinkney, who won the 2010 Caldecott for The Lion & The Mouse, has created beautiful illustrations to accompany his retelling of the classic Puss in Boots story.    A great choice for a read aloud!  


Author's website:  http://www.jerrypinkneystudio.com

Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs

Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs
by Mo Willems

Author Mo Willems adds a dinosaur twist in his humorous retelling of the Goldilocks story!   Three devious dinosaurs conveniently leave their home for a while, but not without first setting traps in case a certain little girl decides to wonder in!   As Goldilocks explores the dinosaurs home, she gradually becomes aware that something is not quite right about this house!   Will she escape before the dinosaurs return?

I always enjoy reading retellings of popular stories!   This was a fun, twisted version of Goldilocks that I look forward to sharing with many of my classes.


Author's Website: http://www.mowillems.com/

Monkey

Monkey

by Gerald McDermott

Monkey wants some mangoes but a hungry crocodile has other plans for him!    As Monkey tries to find ways to reach an island full of mango trees, he must also outsmart the hungry crocodile.    Will Monkey get his mangoes or will he fall into Crocodile’s trap? 

This is a fun trickster tale with great illustrations!   Gerald McDermott uses bright collage-style pictures to illustrate this amusing tale of Monkey and Crocodile as each character battles to outwit the other.   This trickster tale from India will be a great addition to my folklore units. 

Author's website:  http://www.geraldmcdermott.com/

Jack and the Baked Beanstalk

Jack and the Baked Beanstalk
by Colin Stimpson

The traditional story of Jack and the Beanstalk takes many twists in this fun version!   Our main character Jack works with his mother in their lunch truck, but when business goes down Jack risks them losing everything by using the little money they have left to buy a can of magical baked beans.   Predictably, the next morning a large beanstalk is waiting to be climbed, only this magical vine is growing cans of baked beans!   When Jack reaches the top of this unusual beanstalk he meets a  lonely giant who just wants company and someone to cook for!   

I loved this humorous  retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk!   In addition to be full of funny twists, it had a satisfying and entertaining ending as well as great illustrations.   I can't wait to use this version when I do my Jack and the Beanstalk unit with my 2nd graders later this year.  

Author's Website:  http://www.colinstimpson.com/