Mighty Jack

July 18, 2016
In Hatke’s reworking of “Jack and the Beanstalk,” Jack must care for his younger sister, Maddy, while his single mother holds down two jobs over the summer. Maddy doesn’t speak, but she’s entranced by the magic seeds she and Jack pick up from a shady dealer at a flea market, in exchange for their mother’s car keys. Once they plant them, their home-schooled, sword-wielding neighbor Lilly is curious about their new garden, too—a little too curious. Hatke (Little Robot) revels in drawing the fantasy plants: green hands that reach out and grab, tiny onion-headed creatures, melons with teeth. Jack and Lilly argue about how to handle them: “These plants are dangerous!” he protests. “Open your eyes, Jack,” Lilly retorts. “Just because something’s dangerous doesn’t make it evil.” There’s action and menace aplenty, including a dragon whose ferocity only Maddy can quell, and flashes of intimacy, too, as when Jack’s mother’s anger melts into compassion as she sees her son in tears, or when Maddy suddenly speaks. Jack’s desperate efforts to juggle the needs of three complex female characters drive this sensitive retelling. The cliffhanger ending promises a sequel. Ages 10–14. Agent: Judith Hansen, Hansen Literary. (Sept.)■

July 15, 2016
A comic-book riff on the classic tale of "Jack and the Beanstalk," in which an impoverished young boy learns that his new garden has a mind of its own.Jack certainly doesn't have an easy life: with past-due notices piling up, his mother works all the time, leaving him to care for his nearly mute autistic sister, Maddy. One fateful day at a flea market, he happens upon a vendor (whom fans of Hatke's Zita the Spacegirl will immediately recognize) who offers him a mysterious box of seeds in exchange for his mother's car. Maddy and Jack accept his deal and quickly discover that these seeds are anything but ordinary--they are magical and dangerous. Joined by his home-schooled neighbor Lilly, the white children spend their summer learning the quirks and magic of the garden until they unearth an evil lurking within it. Hatke is a master visual storyteller; through sparse, carefully chosen text, his largely image-based story enthralls from one action-packed panel to the next. His interpretation of the familiar fairy tale is richly imagined, giving girls--including one on the spectrum--equal weight in the adventure rather than staying true to the male-dominated original. This first in a series flourishes up to its nail-biting cliffhanger: expect interest for the subsequent offering to positively bloom.Very mighty indeed. (Graphic fantasy. 7-13)

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September 1, 2016

Gr 4-7-Hatke, the author of Julia's House for Lost Creatures and the popular "Zita the Spacegirl" series, returns to the land of heroes with a modern-day reimagining of "Jack and the Beanstalk." Jack is the oldest child of a divorced single mom doing her best to keep the family fed. On a trip to the flea market, Jack's sister, Maddy, who is autistic and never speaks, convinces Jack to swap the family car for a packet of seeds. Adventure soon follows, and Jack finds himself planting a garden that produces a variety of strange and bizarre creatures, meeting the neighbor girl, dealing with his sister, and even encountering a dragon. Hatke deftly weaves in real-world issues as well, such as mother-son relationships, special-needs siblings, and divorced homes. He is in brilliant form here, balancing appropriate dialogue with vibrant, visually engaging images that move the narrative along. Those who enjoy this series starter will want to look out for Jack's future escapades. VERDICT This title will do well with graphic novel readers, fairy-tale fans, struggling readers, and anyone who enjoys good storytelling.-John Trischitti, Midland County Public Libraries, TX

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2016
Grades 5-8 Jack knows the seeds from the mysterious flea market vendor weren't worth the keys to his mom's car, but his younger sister, Maddy, who's autistic and rarely speaks, is uncharacteristically insistent they take them. Their beleaguered mom isn't happy, but she's too busy working two jobs for the summer to pay much attention, and anyway, Maddy seems enlivened by their new backyard garden. But it's just as well she hasn't looked too close, since those blooming plants are . . . odd. Hatke's aptitude for fantastic creatures is marvelously on display in the magical plants, which straddle the line between botanicals and beasts. They loom large in the margins of scenes, allowing the action to focus on Jack, Maddy, and their neighbor Lily, who spend their summer playfully battling their crops. Meanwhile, the plants seem to be getting stronger, and Jack starts to worry, perhaps too much, about his sister. With expert visual storytelling, an empowering team of kid adventurers, and a tantalizing cliff-hanger, this series starter will easily please Hatke's legion of followers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2017
Jack foolishly trades the family car for a packet of seeds. He's thrilled when his younger sister (who doesn't speak) cares for the garden, but these seeds yield a sinister menagerie of sentient plant creatures. Graphic novelist Hatke employs a vibrant color palette dominated by verdant greens and with a panel layout that segues seamlessly between dialogue and action--all to terrific effect.

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

September 1, 2016
While visiting a flea market with his single mother and younger sister, Maddy (who does not speak), Jack foolishly trades the family car for a packet of seeds. He's thrilled when Maddy begins to thrive as she cares for the garden, but these seeds yield a strange and sinister menagerie of sentient plant creatures. Jack eventually destroys the threatening garden, but not before a friendly neighbor girl, Lilly, steals some of the seeds, unwittingly placing Maddy in terrible danger. She is, in fact, kidnapped by the plant creatures and taken into another dimension, and it's up to Jack and Lilly to get her back. Graphic novelist Hatke (Little Robot, rev. 9/15) employs a vibrant color palette dominated, unsurprisingly, by verdant greens and with a panel layout that segues seamlessly between dialogue and action -- all to terrific effect. What initially seems to be a retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk morphs into something that more closely resembles Little Shop of Horrors, and it remains to be seen whether the giant, the golden egglaying goose, and other fairy-tale elements will make an appearance. Hatke is such an engaging storyteller that fans will eagerly wait to find out. jonathan hunt

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)