The Fort That Jack Built

By Boni Ashburn and Brett Helquist

In this imaginative interpretation of the nursery rhyme “The House That Jack Built,” young Jack builds an amazing fort in the middle of the living room, using the chairs, blankets, and other objects on hand. Unfortunately, those objects belong to his family members, so when they want their things back—there goes the walls and roof! Jack struggles to keep his fortress going as it crumbles piece by piece. Finally, Grandma saves the day with her quilts for a sweet, satisfying ending filled with family fun. Boni Ashburn’s text is brought to life by acclaimed illustrator Brett Helquist, whose lively style takes this tale beyond the living room and into the world of adventure.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Sep 3, 2013
• ISBN: 9781613125168

Boni Ashburn

Boni Ashburn is the author of Hush, Little Dragon and Over at the Castle. She lives in Houghton, Michigan, with her four children.

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Reviews for The Fort That Jack Built

[abigailadams26 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Using the classic nursery rhyme and cumulative tale This Is the House That Jack Built as an inspiration, author Boni Ashburn spins the story of a young boy and his imaginative games of make believe in this entertaining picture-book. Borrowing items from all of his family members, the eponymous Jack builds a fantastic fort in the living room, only to watch it disassembled piece by piece as siblings and parents reclaim their property. In the end, when grandma comes looking for her quilt, he learns an important lesson about sharing...With a rollicking, rhyming text - the original is a classic for a reason, after all! - and entertaining illustrations, The Fort That Jack Built would make an excellent read-aloud selection at story-time. I appreciated the depiction offered here of a young boy's exuberant creativity and his pursuit of his imaginary ideal, and the gentle lesson offered at the end regarding the right and wrong way to appropriate other people's belongings. The artwork by Brett Helquist, probably best known for his work on Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events novels, is colorful and quirky, capturing the humor and fun to be found in the text. Recommended to Helquist fans, and to anyone looking for children's stories about the power of the imagination and/or the importance of balancing one's own activities with those of other family members.