Calamity Jack

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Hale, Shannon and Dean. 2010. Calamity Jack. Ill. by Nathan Hale. New York: Bloomsbury.  ISBN 9781599900766.

PLOT SUMMARY

“I think of myself as a criminal mastermind…with an unfortunate amount of bad luck.” Thus begins Jack’s story. “Born to scheme,” Jack moves from petty theft to petty theft until the day he witnesses his mother being insulted by one of her customers. Jack decides he needs to find a way to Blunderboar the Giant’s floating palace. Pawning his father’s leather jacket, which he wears like a shield, Jack comes into possession of some magic beans. When the beans don’t produce immediately, Jack tosses the extra beans to the side. When he discovers a giant beanstalk the next day (check this out), he climbs to his fortune. Sadly, Jack’s infamous bad luck comes into play, and the vine is discovered, but not before Jack nabs the goose that lays the golden eggs. Sliding down the beanstalk, Jack chops it down. In the process, he kills one of the giants, and destroys his mother’s bakery and apartment house. Fleeing Shyport, Jack heads west, where he connects with his friend, Rapunzel. After helping Rapunzel in her own story, Jack brings Rapunzel back to the big city. Upon finding that his mother is a captive of Blunderboar, as is the rest of the city, Jack and Rapunzel set out to save the city, destroy Blunderboar, and find their fortune.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Cow? Magic beans? Singing harp? These traditional elements are all but missing from Shannon and Dean Hale’s graphic novel, Calamity Jack. Even without the magic of the original fairy tale, there are plenty of fantastic creatures in Calamity Jack - evil giants, pixies, giant ants, and jabberwocks.

Calamity Jack opens with a brief overview of Jack’s young life. It quickly escalates to the point of Jack finding himself in dire straits when he steals the goose that lays the golden egg, kills a giant, and destroys his mother’s bakery and apartment house. As public enemy number one, Jack is forced to leave the big city of Shyport and head west. There, he meets up with his friend Rapunzel. After helping Rapunzel clean up her town and set the people on the road to prosperity, Jack and Rapunzel head to the big city to find Jack’s mother and try to fix the problems Jack has caused. Through a series of adventures - battling giant ants, being betrayed by a pixie, and rescuing Jack’s mother, Jack reaches deep inside himself to discover the good inside himself. He recognizes that there are ways to achieve his goals and dreams that can help not only him, but also those around him.

This graphic novel version of the traditional Jack and the Beanstalk story offers more depth for the older reader. This Jack messes up. It is not just a matter of running up and down the beanstalk a few times, bringing home some riches, and then dispensing with the giant. This Jack must deal with a mother’s disappointment, schemes that seem to constantly go wrong, a charge of murder, and a life on the run. Calamity Jack is a character who reflects the internal conflicts we all experience as we search for who we are and how we impact the world.

Nathan Hale’s comic book style illustrations really move the story forward. The facial expressions of the characters speak volumes more than the words. Studying each picture allows the reader to pick up on details and subtle nuances that drive the story. The use of bold colors draws the reader’s eye along the page. More developed than traditional comic book illustrations, the pictures carry the burden of telling the story, and they carry the burden well. Hale’s pictures have the added novelty of having all been drawn while he sat in a study carrel at his local library, which is featured in one of the illustrations of the book.

PERSONAL RESPONSE

While I found Calamity Jack interesting, graphic novels are not a genre I would choose to read for pleasure. I can understand their appeal, and I think for some people they fill a need. For those who find them enjoyable, I say, “Keep on reading!” I especially see the value of graphic novels for use with reluctant readers because of their limited text and high visual appeal. However, even in the realm of graphic novels, you still have to have a story that someone wants to read. I think Calamity Jack is such a novel because of its take on a traditional fairy tale.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

Best Children’s Books of the Year, 2011; Bank Street College of Education; United States

YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens, 2011; American Library Association; United States

Booklist: “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.”

Kirkus: “Readers will relish this gleeful mix of fairy tale, adventure and romance.”

CONNECTIONS

§   Definitely pair this novel with Rapunzel’s Revenge, (2008). Pairing these two novels allows students to see strong female and male characters, how individuals use the strengths they have (Rapunzel uses her long braids for a variety of things), and how fairytale characters might have interacted with each other given the chance!

·                        Hale, Shannon and Dean. 2008. Rapunzel’s Revenge. Ill. by Nathan Hale. New York: Bloomsbury.  ISBN 9781599902883

§   Visit Shannon Hale’s website for activities and information about Calamity Jack:

http://www.squeetus.com/stage/books_jack.html

§   Have students choose a favorite fairytale and turn it into comic book form. Have them add their own twists and turns to the story. Students don’t need to be artists to draw their illustrations. Work across the curriculum and enlist the aid of the art teacher to expose students to drawing, collage, photography, and other mediums that will allow students to best express themselves.