Jacobs' Fairy Tales

Title: Jacobs' Fairy Tales: Mouse and Mouser, The Golden Arm, The Strange Visitor, Henny-Penny

Author: Joseph Jacobs

Publisher: Authoroma Public Books

Date: 1996

Number of pages: 319 pages

 Reading level: 10 and up

 Genre: Fairy Tale

Summary: Joseph Jacobs and his unique style of writing brings a new shared light to the diverse world of fairy tales. Jacob's was and educated English man who fled to the United States to share his literary art at a young age. In the late 1800's Jacobs introduced his variation of Jack in the beanstalk - which opened up a diversity in the journey to seek his style of writing. Once he was in the public eye, Jacobs produced many more works or art that later became to be known as one of the greatest English writers known to this day. 

The four classics I choose to read were interesting. They all had an ending in which you would not expect. Although true to fact and honest, there were no real big twists or turns. In The Golden Arm, you think that the wife will confront him about the arm, but Jacobs cuts off the story before talking about the missing arm in which the husband cut off in the middle of the night. Instead she tells the husband that she knows he has it, but that is the end of the story. In Mouse and Mouser the mouse ends up being the one who pays for good deeds.  The mouse sweeps and becomes a great cleaner - also recognized by the cat. After cleaning he finds a coin, goes to the market, buys a pudding, puts it in the window to cool, and the cat eats it. In attempt to confront the cat about eating his pudding, mouse gets pounced on. You never find out the fate of the mouse, but it is insinuated that he parishes to be the cat's meal as the cat mentions he will now eat the mouse.

Although classics, patterns seemed to suggest that the rugged writings of Joseph Jacob's are not always happy. The mouse parishes, The strange visitor gets a visitor but it's not of notable recognition, and in Henny-Penny the sky does not fall. 

My reaction: My favorite Jacobs' fairy tale is Henny-Penny. I like all the characters unique names, situations/circumstances, and variety of animals and their concerns. The way it was written is almost like a tongue twister which makes it fun. I enjoy the chaotic story that unfolds before you, and the entertainment it offers.

Potential problems: I don't see any inappropriateness towards the audience in which it is aimed. I feel that a few of the works were quite boring and without point, but if you get an entertaining story such as Henny-Penny or Jack and the Beanstalk it's an enjoyable read.

My recommendation: In younger classrooms Jack and the Beanstalk can be used as a children's play or reading time. I remember being in girl scouts and we acted out Jacobs version of Jack and the Beanstalk. I had so much fun not only reading and hearing the story, but implementing the fairy tale fun in my own life. I agree with the age level, about 12 and up a child can really begin to appreciate works of art and recognize entertainment mixed with structural value.