Book Knowledge Organiser – Jack and the Beanstalk

Important Information
Plot
A children's story. Jack, a poor country boy, trades the
family cow for a handful of magic beans, which grow into
an enormous beanstalk reaching up into the clouds.
Jack climbs the beanstalk and finds himself in the castle of
an unfriendly giant.
Themes Name of book: Jack and Beanstalk
Good versus evil, overcoming challenges. Author: Various
Setting Illustrator: Various
Jacks house, a huge beanstalk and a castle above the Genre: Fiction – Traditional Tale
clouds.
Key Vocabulary
Characters
What can the book teach
Lead character – a young boy from a poor us? poor have very little money
Jack family who wants to do what’s best for his Take advantage of the
family. market a place that things are bought and sold
opportunities that life
Jack’s Sends Jack to sell the family’s cow. She isn’t provides. stranger someone you do not know
mother happy when he returns.
Quotes beans a type if seed which can grow if planted
A huge, mean monster who lives at the top
Giant “Fee, fi, fo, fum.”
of the beanstalk. snoozing sleeping
Golden
A very special bird who lays golden eggs. snatched grabbed and took
Goose
Sometimes appears in the story as a kind harp a large stringed musical instrument
Giant’s wife
character but is also sometimes evil. lullaby a soft and gentle tune

Context: There are lots of different versions of this traditional

tale which introduce additional characters, different challenges
and alternative endings. The story has been passed down for
generations so has changed over time.