Osborne, M., & Potter, G. (2000). Kate and the beanstalk. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.
In this version of Jack and the Beanstalk, a feminist twist is put on the traditional tale. Instead of Jack, Kate trades her cow for the magic beans and decides to climb to the top to see what it entails and finds a kingdom in the clouds. Kate repeatedly visits the Giant's castle and uses her wit, for fortune, for her family. The famous "fee, fi, fo fum" phrase is altered to "Fee, fi, fo fum, I smell the blood of an Englishwoman," in order to suit Kate's gender. The book also emphasizes Kate as being a confident little girl, with lines such as, "I fear nothing when I'm doing right." Thus, this version abolishes the gender stereotype present in the original tale that implies that the male must always be the courageous savior. Kate is depicted as a true heroine. Due to her bravery and cleverness, Kate is successful in the end in gaining back everything that the Giant had stolen from her family. Furthermore, the illustrations in the book were very effective in complementing the text without taking away from it. The gouache and watercolor illustrations complement the theme of the story well.
Ketteman, H., & Greenseid, D. (2007). Waynetta and the cornstalk: A Texas fairy tale. Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman.
This version of the original has a Texas twist. It tells the story of Waynetta and her mother living on a ranch, struggling to make ends meet. However, instead of selling her cow in trade of beans, she sells her "longhorn" in trade of corn. Right from the start, a different culture is shown. Thus, when her mother throws the corn out of the window, a giant cornstalk grows. Waynetta, being depicted as a courageous heroine, climbs to the top of this cornstalk to find a giant cowboy who has been stealing her "ma's" things. She uses her cleverness to get back what has been stolen. The illustrations in the story are colorful and complement this comical tale. They are also very effective in depicting the Western setting. The point of view in the story is third person or omniscient, which is advantageous as the reader can hear the thoughts and feelings of all characters. After Waynetta is successful with her missions, the story ends with them living "happy as Junebugs ever after." I personally believe that this culture is portrayed in a comical, almost satirical way. Nevertheless, it would still expose children to a culture other than the original tale. Additionally, this version is also successful in abolishing gender stereotypes by proving that girls can be brave heroes.
Polette, K., & Dulemba, E. (2008). Paco and the giant chile plant. McHenry, IL: Raven Tree Press.
Like the other versions, this story talks about Paco and his mother's hardship. Paco's mother sends him to the market to sell "la vaca." Instead of trading the cow for beans, he is given chile seeds. When he plants these, a chile stalk grows and he climbs to meet el gigante terrible. The integrated Spanish in this book makes it a great tool to have in the classroom. The children will be learning while reading in a very fun way, and it is thus a great resource for learning a second language. Repetition is also offered in Spanish and English together, making it easier to grasp. The setting of this tale is the desert Southwest and thus is a cultural lesson for readers. The use of chile instead of beans, and even the name "Paco" is cultural enlightenment. The soft, vintage illustrations used in this tale are also very effective in depicting the various desert colors and giving insight to this culture while complementing the text.
This was my favorite literary analysis thus far. I have never been exposed to this category of literature, and they were extremely interesting reads. Portrayal of culture as well as abolishment of stereotypes were the main focuses for my analyses. Traditional literature is a means of bringing together the values of people all over the world, and emphasizing the similarities and differences. This genre is extremely educational and resourceful, and I will definitely be using it in my future classrooms as a means of exposing my students to new cultures, ideas, viewpoints and approaches. They are great ways to challenge their existing thoughts and attitudes, and expose them to a new light. The genre literature consists of a variety of stories that offer an opportunity for implementing curriculum standards into the classroom such as analyzing how texts address similar themes.