This Is the House That Jack Built

The Rebus Version - Another Proud Homeowner

Elizabeth Falconer's 1990 cartoon-like illustration portrays a man in old-fashioned clothing, standing proudly in front of his house, holding what appear to be building plans. This illustration is a flat, two-dimensional close-up image enclosed by a border that doesn't reveal the entire house or even its front door. The man and a child are standing with their feet outside the border, while workers labor to complete the roof, suggesting that Jack is telling you the story of how his house came to be built. This creates a more personal feel and draws the reader into Jack's story. Falconer uses a subdued pale pink for the color of the house and teal for both the shutters and sky. The grass is a pale olive green with very little texture. Her use of these hues and the composition of the illustration with the proud owner in front of his house generate a very similar feel to that of Caldecott's original drawing. The second illustration is one of the rebus pages with a foreshadowing of the maiden all forlorn and the cow with the crumpled horn passing in front of the house. Look closely at the center panel on this page and decide if there is room for a young child's misinterpretation.