Open in the phone-friendly book reader →
STAY PLAYFUL STORYBOOKS
Jack and the Beanstalk
24 illustrated story pages · Read together at your own pace
PAGE 1 OF 24
A Little Cottage
Jack lived with his mother in a little cottage beside the fields. Their cow, Milky-white, gave them milk to sell at the village market. But one morning, the pail stayed empty. Mother counted their last few coins, and Jack gave Milky-white a gentle pat.
PAGE 2 OF 24
The Road to Market
“We will have to sell our cow,” Mother said sadly. “Please bring home enough money for food and seeds.” Jack promised to do his best. He led Milky-white along the winding lane, past buttercups and hedges, toward the village market.
PAGE 3 OF 24
Five Curious Beans
At a bend in the road, Jack met an old man with a crooked walking stick. “Would you trade your cow for these?” the man asked. In his palm lay five speckled beans. “Plant them, and they will grow higher than you can imagine.”
PAGE 4 OF 24
An Unusual Trade
Jack pictured beans reaching over rooftops and into the sky. Perhaps such a plant could help them! He placed the five beans in his pocket and handed over Milky-white’s rope. The old man led her gently away. Jack hurried home, bubbling with excitement.
PAGE 5 OF 24
Not What Mother Expected
“Beans?” Mother said when Jack opened his hand. “Oh, Jack. We needed food, not promises.” In her disappointment, she tossed the beans through the open window. Jack’s excitement faded. Together they shared the last of their soup, and he wished he had thought more carefully.
PAGE 6 OF 24
Something Stirred
That night, while the cottage slept, something stirred beneath the window. Tiny roots wriggled into the earth. A green shoot curled upward. It thickened and twisted, sending out leaves as broad as blankets. Up it grew, past the roof and into the moonlit sky.
PAGE 7 OF 24
A Ladder of Leaves
In the morning, Jack’s room glowed green. He hurried outside and tipped his head back. A tremendous beanstalk rose from the garden and vanished into the clouds! Its stems twisted together like a ladder. “The old man was telling the truth,” Jack whispered.
PAGE 8 OF 24
Up, Up, Up
Jack gripped a sturdy stem and began to climb. Up past the chimney, up past the swallows, up where the air felt cool and fresh. The cottage grew smaller below him. At last, he pushed through a misty cloud and found solid ground above it.
PAGE 9 OF 24
A Castle in the Clouds
A winding path crossed a bright meadow above the clouds. At its end stood an enormous castle, with a door taller than any tree Jack knew. He followed the path, wondering who could live there. Then the great door opened with a long, low creak.
PAGE 10 OF 24
A Kind Welcome
A very tall woman looked down at him. “You must be hungry after that climb,” she said. She was the giant’s wife, and her voice was kind. She gave Jack bread and milk. “Eat quickly,” she added. “My husband is terribly grumpy about visitors.”
PAGE 11 OF 24
Thump! Thump! Thump!
The floor trembled. Thump! Thump! Thump! “Behind the curtain!” whispered the woman. Jack slipped out of sight as the giant lumbered inside. “Fee-fi-fo-fum!” he rumbled. “Something smells different today!” His wife set down a steaming bowl. “Perhaps it is your breakfast,” she said.
PAGE 12 OF 24
A Small Bag of Gold
After breakfast, the giant fell asleep in his enormous chair. His wife beckoned Jack from his hiding place. “Take this little gift from my own purse,” she whispered, handing him a small bag of gold. “Buy what your family needs.” Jack thanked her and tiptoed away.
PAGE 13 OF 24
Home Before Supper
Jack climbed down with the little bag tucked safely in his satchel. Mother listened in amazement as he told her everything. “A kind gift deserves a kind thank-you,” she said. They bought food and seeds, and Mother wrapped a loaf of bread for their generous friend.
PAGE 14 OF 24
A Remarkable Hen
The next morning, Jack carried the bread up to the castle. The woman smiled at the warm loaf. “How thoughtful! I have a gift to share, too.” She showed him a little brown hen. With a soft cluck, the hen laid an egg that shone like gold.
PAGE 15 OF 24
A Golden Surprise
“She will be happier in your sunny garden,” the woman said. Jack carried the hen home snugly in his open satchel, with her head peeking out. Mother made a nest beside the cottage. Soon, a golden egg gleamed in the straw. There would be enough for seeds—and some to share.
PAGE 16 OF 24
Bread for a Friend
A few days later, Mother baked another loaf. Jack wanted to thank the woman again. He climbed the familiar stems with the bread in his satchel. At the castle, she welcomed him inside. Then a sweet, trembling melody drifted from the next room. Jack stopped to listen.
PAGE 17 OF 24
The Singing Harp
A small golden harp stood on the giant’s table. Its curved frame held a tiny carved face. “Sing!” ordered the giant. The harp played until his eyes closed. Then it whispered to Jack behind the curtain, “Please take me outside. I long to sing beneath the open sky.”
PAGE 18 OF 24
A Ringing Note
Jack lifted the little harp and slipped it into his satchel. But a string caught his sleeve. TING! The giant’s eyes flew open. “My harp!” he thundered. Jack darted through the doorway. Behind him, the great chair scraped across the floor, and heavy footsteps shook the room.
PAGE 19 OF 24
Across the Cloud Meadow
Jack ran along the winding path. The giant followed with long, pounding strides. “Come back!” he shouted. The harp nestled against Jack’s side, safely held by the satchel’s strap. Ahead, the beanstalk’s green leaves rose above the edge of the meadow. Jack raced toward them.
PAGE 20 OF 24
Down the Beanstalk
Down climbed Jack, hand over hand. Far below, Mother stood in the garden. The giant grabbed the stalk above him, and the whole plant swayed. Leaves fluttered through the air. Jack kept his eyes on the next foothold. The harp stayed snug in its bag.
PAGE 21 OF 24
The Giant Turns Back
CRACK! A thick branch bent beneath the giant’s boot. He froze. The beanstalk was strong enough for Jack, but not for someone so enormous. With a frightened grumble, the giant scrambled upward. Jack watched him disappear into the clouds, then hurried down the last few stems.
PAGE 22 OF 24
The Way Is Closed
Once Jack stood safely beside her, Mother fetched the wood axe. The giant was already far away. Chop, chop! Together they brought the beanstalk down across the empty field. Its leaves settled with a rustling sigh. The road to the castle in the clouds was closed.
PAGE 23 OF 24
Music in the Garden
That evening, Jack set the harp beside the garden bench. It played a bright, happy tune beneath the open sky. The hen scratched peacefully near her nest. Mother put an arm around Jack. “I am glad you are home,” she said. “So am I,” he answered.
PAGE 24 OF 24
Enough to Share
In time, their garden filled with vegetables, and their kitchen smelled of fresh bread. Jack and Mother shared what they had with their neighbors. Sometimes, Jack looked up at the clouds and remembered his adventure. Then the harp began to sing, and he stayed to listen.
AFTER THE STORY
Read, talk & play.
Stay with the story a little longer. Pick a question or try a drawing together.
Talk together
- What do you imagine is above the clouds?
- Which of Jack’s choices would you like to talk about?
- What might Jack grow in his garden next?
Draw a world above the clouds
You’ll need: paper and crayons or pencils.
Draw a tall beanstalk from the ground up to a cloud. Imagine a place at the top: a garden, a little town, or something entirely new. Add three things Jack could discover and tell the next part of his adventure.
For younger children: let your child choose the colors and describe their ideas while you draw together.
Explore a related activity guide →See the book covers
