Reviews for Idle Jack

The average rating for Idle Jack based on 2 reviews is 2.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2012-03-02 00:00:00 Goldie Litton Idle Jack by Antony Maitland is a retelling of the English folktale about a large, stupid, lazy son who tries to follow his mother's directions with totally disappointing results, until he unwittingly stumbles into good fortune. After being idle for years, Jack takes his mother's diretions literally. Jack drops a penny, loses milk carried in his pocket, has cheese matted in his hair, gets scratched carrying a cat in his hands, drags mutton in the dirt, and carries a donkey on his shoulders. Jack is finally rewarded despite his poor performance. A large bold font is used, along with colorful (and rather rude, insulting) phrases such as toiled away, lazy lumpkin, mend your ways, silly goose, sparrow brain, "lord a mercy", nit-wit, highly pleased with himself, lack-a-day, muddle-mind, melancholy, and great splendor. Maitland's illustrations portray both idleness and action well. My favorite images include carrying donkey, the cover, Jack in the grass, splashing the milk, in danger from a ram, burning bread, ruining mutton, amusing the maiden, and the final image. The illustrations capture the humor and extend it, showing details not mentioned in the text. Parents, librarians, or teachers who disapprove of name-calling may not wish to use this story, or may want to discuss name calling before or after reading it. I liked it, but would not use it for story time. Maitland and folklore fans will enjoy it. Jack reminded me a bit of Amelia Bedelia. For ages 6 and up, England-folklore, folktales, humor, and fans of Antony Maitland.

Review # 2 was written on 2017-01-12 00:00:00 Kumar Patel Fantastic novel of Eire! This book takes you on a fantastical journey like no other! I highly recommend this detailed, beautifully written piece!