Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie Kingsley
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Fun series, but few consequences for bunny's behavior.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 5+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In the JACK BOOK series, a feisty rabbit creates trouble wherever he goes, starting with stealing a lady's purse and refusing to give it back, then drawing on himself and the dog, Rex, with her lipstick. The lady and Jack become friends, and he saves the day at a dude ranch when the lady almost marries a bank robber disguised as a good guy. In another story, the lady sends Jack and Rex to space and doesn't want them to return, but an alien is annoyed with Jack and makes her take them back. Jack spends a lot of time antagonizing others, but does it with a smile. At the end of each book, there's a tutorial showing simple steps to draw a character from the story.
Is It Any Good?
The rabbit in these silly, fun books with simple words and engaging illustrations isn't exactly a model for being honorable and kind, but that's probably more obvious to adults. Young readers will practice with word repetition on the pages, and the eye-catching illustrations are a ton of fun. The expressions on Jack's face are subtle but funny, and the cartoonish style fits the stories perfectly. In the Jack Book series, Jack doesn't seem to care about anyone else, and his behavior -- stealing the lady's purse, drawing with her lipstick, upsetting an alien, etc. -- has minimal consequences. The lady repeatedly calls him "bad," and sends him away, and her almost marrying a stranger at a dude ranch is a little odd. The how-to-draw section at the end of each book is a fun way for readers to spend more time with the series.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the lack of consequences in the Jack Book series. What do you think should happen when Jack does things he shouldn't?
Why is seeing someone else get in trouble funny?
What other books have feisty characters like Jack?
Book Details
- Author: Mac Barnett
- Illustrator: Greg Pizzoli
- Genre: For Beginning Readers
- Topics: Adventures , Friendship
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
- Publication date: September 3, 2019
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 5 - 8
- Number of pages: 80
- Available on: Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: February 18, 2020
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