Cleopatra

A remarkably rounded picture of Shakespeare’s life and the period in which he lived includes a thoughtful attempt to relate circumstances in his personal life to the content of his plays.

Otto, a gentle giant, is understandably upset when a fellow named Jack steals his pet hen. When Otto descends the beanstalk to retrieve it, he encounters several boys named Jack (who readers may recognize from other tales!) – until he finds the right Jack and makes an equitable deal. Humor abounds in the text and illustration of this fractured fairytale.