Generations of children have delighted in the nursery rhyme about Jack and his house. Starting with the familiar refrain "
This is the house that Jack built. This is the malt that lay in the house that Jack built,
" the age-old chant expands to include the maiden all forlorn, the cow with the crumpled horn, and other distinctive characters.
This Caldecott Honor-winning picture book offers an additional attraction to the traditional tale: all of the verses appear in French as well as English. From the opening, "
Voici la maison que Jacques a bâtie. Voici le malt que se trouvait dans la maison que Jacques a bâtie,
" to the grand conclusion, the repetition of catchy rhymes provides effortless reinforcement of French words and phrases. Brilliantly colored woodcut illustrations by renowned artist Antonio Frasconi add an ageless beauty to this keepsake edition.