Advanced
Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.
Title details for This Is the House That Jack Built by Simms Taback - Available

This Is the House That Jack Built

by Simms Taback
Simms Taback
Audiobook
2 of 2 copies available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
2 of 2 copies available
What happened in the house that Jack built?

It all started with the cheese that lay in the house that Jack built. And then came the rat that ate the cheese and the cat who killed the rat. Caldecott Medal winning author and illustrator Simms Taback brings his distinctive humor and creativity to the beloved story of Jack and the house that he built.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    January 1, 2004

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781339055930
      • File size: 4778 KB
      • Duration: 00:09:57

  • Languages

    • English

  • Levels

    • Lexile® Measure: 580
    • Text Difficulty: 2-3

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Randolph Caldecott first illustrated this old rhyme, and now Caldecott Medal winner Simms Taback shares his own detailed, humorous version. The listening experience alone is delightful. The combination of sound effects, klezmer-like music, repetition of the text, and Mandy Patinkin's interpretation is engaging. Patinkin gives personality to each character--a somber, slow-speaking judge and a wailing maiden--and a charming cadence to Taback's textual embellishments. The opportunity to pour over the illustrations while listening is an added bonus. Choose a new home from the end papers, learn the parts of the cow's stomach, read Little Red Hen's description of the rooster, and identify the mystery guest. A.R. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      November 29, 2004
      In a starred review, PW
      wrote, "The artist fills the busy pages with abundant details and diversions. A zany and fun take on the 18th-century classic." Ages 4-up.

    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from July 22, 2002
      Caldecott Medalist Taback (Joseph Had a Little Overcoat) offers a spirited interpretation of this cumulative rhyme. From the very start—as endpapers reveal a variety of pencil-drawn houses with yellowing real estate ads as captions—the artist fills these busy pages with abundant details and diversions. The first spread introduces Jack's home on the left, with the text on the right, and the word "house" in eye-popping collage type. Ancillary images and asides accompany the vividly hued mixed-media illustrations and hand-lettered text that introduce the invading characters. On the spread announcing the cheese, for example, Taback reveals nine varieties (one of which "lay in the house that Jack built") and ranks them according to their pungency ("Not so smelly"; "Really stinky"). Superimposed on the image of "the cow with the crumpled horn" are labels indicating its parts (tail, hoof, udder) as well as the anatomical sources of some kid-pleasing delicacies (meatballs, Big Mac, etc.). As previous characters move to the right of each spread, they (and the growing text) begin to crowd out the house itself. Taback slips himself into the tale at its end (wearing a beret bearing the words "Guess who?"), applying the finishing touches to a picture that gathers the entire cast of characters. A zany and fun take on this 18th-century classic. Ages 4-8.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Lexile® Measure:580
  • Text Difficulty:2-3

Loading
Check Out What's Being Checked Out Right Now