• Age: 4 to 8
• Grade: p to 3

Jack may be good at following recipes, but he's not very good at following directions. When his two older brothers fail to find the golden bird that made off with their father's prized golden apples, Jack steps up for the job.
But there are many challenges to be faced along the way; without the help of a fast and friendly fox, Jack just might not make it. With a smart princess who loves grunge rock, angry kings, magic animals, conniving siblings, and tempting casinos, this delightful re-mix of an old Cape Breton Jack tale seamlessly blends modern and ancient. Acclaimed Canadian storyteller Dan Yashinsky brings wit and whimsy to this wonder tale. Ekaterina Khlebnikova's brilliant illustrations blend old and new creating a gorgeous visual world; a perfect complement to Yashinsky's re-telling. Together they serve up a book that will delight readers and listeners of all ages.

Dan Yashinsky has been telling stories for more than forty years. The founder of the Toronto Storytelling Festival and the co-founder of the Storytellers School of Toronto (now called Storytelling Toronto), he has shared his stories across the world — at festivals, in schools and hospitals, in theatres and community spaces. He is the editor of four acclaimed folk tale collections, and the author of several books including Tales for an Unknown City, which received the Toronto Book Award, and Suddenly They Heard Footsteps: Storytelling for the Twenty-first Century. In 1999, he was named recipient of the first Jane Jacobs Prize, in recognition of his contributions as a storyteller to enhance the cultural life of Toronto.

Dan Yashinsk's profile page

Raised in a family of book lovers, Ekaterina Khlebnikova dreamt of being an illustrator or artist from a very young age. A graduate of the Moscow State University Ivana Fedorova, Faculty of Graphic Arts, she is a member of the Moscow Union of Artists (Department of Prints). She has participated in numerous exhibitions, both in Russia and elsewhere, and is a winner at Moscow's International Festival of Book Illustration and Visual Literature (MORS). She has created artwork for books published in Russia, China, Serbia, and now Canada.

Ekaterina Khlebnikova's profile page

"Brisk, engaging fun."
— Kirkus, starred review