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Publisher's Weekly
October 2008
A skeptic might not think that the Pulitzer Prize winner who made a graphic novel about Auschwitz could also write and draw for the not-quite-literate set - but rest assured, this comic gem of a picture book demonstrates Spiegelman's ability to conquer his audience, no matter its constituents. Sticking to his well-developed aesthetic, Spiegelman introduces a bunny hero, Jack, who receives a jack-in-the-box. This jack-in-the-box can talk, and its appearance registers somewhere between goofy and clownlike sinister (see its crocodilian upper teeth); its features gain extra oomph by virtue of being the only ones in a spread to receive high-contrast color treatment. With Jack's parents out of the room, the toy performs Cat-in-the-Hat/Marx Brothers-like slapstick tricks timed to perfection. This book choreographs jokes with an exquisite understanding of climax and denouement. As with the other books from this publisher, the design is sophisticated, making elegant use of panels, and easy-to-handle small format and subtle, low-contrast hues. That the vocabulary and the matchup of dialogue balloons to the action are geared to beginning readers is icing on the cake. Ages 4-up.
—Publisher's Weekly
School Library Journal
October 2008
A mischievous, easy-to-read comic story similar in tone and audience to The Cat in the Hat. Jack receives a jack-in-the-box as a present. Its manically entertaining occupant, Zack, keeps its owner guessing. Fortunately, when the fun gets out of hand, Zack and his friend Mack save Jack by wanting to trade the lamp they broke for a brand-new one, produced from inside the box. While the story is wacky, the cartoon artwork will appeal to a broad range of lower-level readers. True to its comic-strip roots, without the clutter that some children have a hard time reading, this title is a surefire hit.
—Sarah Provence, Churchill Road Elementary School, McLean, VA
Booklist
September 1, 2008
Comic visionary and living legend Spiegelman has ignored the effects of Early Success Syndrome and plowed right ahead, finding different methods of bringing sequential art to new audiences in interesting ways. Attempting to match the extraordinary achievement of Maus (1986) would be difficult, to say the least, so he and wife Francoise Mouly have developed the Toon imprint for very young readers. Balancing the aesthetic of comics with the familiarity of picture books, and even harkening back to Dr. Seuss, Spiegelman has produced a polished and fun story following a young bunny's struggle with his new jack-in-the-box, which proves to be hyperactive and rather argumentative. With plenty of word repetition and age-appropriate humor to keep pre- and early readers engaged and curious, Spiegelman has taken sequential-art basics and fitted them to his new audience. Like all the Toon books released so far (Benny and Penny in Just Pretend, Silly Lilly and the Four Seasons, and Otto's Orange Day, all 2008), Jack and the Box is beautifully conceived and executed.
—Jesse Karp
Kirkus Reviews
August 22, 2008
A long way from Dick and Jane, this near-primer tried-hard, and with at least some success, to rob a scary toy of its power to frighten a youngster. Jack the rabbit is thrilled to receive a box covered in stars from his fond parents. His enthusiasm for the gift changes to fright, however, when a green-faced, pop-eyed talking clown head suddenly lunges out at him. Still, in subsequent playful interchanges with it, Jack gradually comes to agree with its claim that it is not a bad toy at all but a silly one- but not before it, Cat in the Hat-like, un-leashes both subsidiary toys and terrifying chaos in a sequence of color shifts indicate may well be imaginary. Framed in one or two sequential panels per page done in flat colors, simple shapes and with an all-dialogue text in balloons, the episode looks like a comic for brand new readers. There's a lot going on beneath the surface, though, and this may have some therapeutic value for older children too. (Graphic early reader. 4-8).
—Kirkus Reviews
Ain't It Cool
August 6, 2008
I got three hardcover books from TOON Books recently and when I cracked them open, I really didn't know what to expect. I chose Art Spiegelman's Jack and the Box first because... hello?... MAUS, anyone? To my surprise, this is a kids' book, and not a bad one at that. It's sweet and sincere and straight forward and everything I'm not used to in a comic. As I was reading it, I was waiting for the punch line, but it never came. This is just a sweet book geared towards young kids and filled with humor that I imagine kids would find extremely funny. The story is pretty simple as it follows Jack as he discovers a box with a funny clown inside. The clown scares Jack over and over by jumping out. But it's not a scary or creepy book. It's definitely suitable for young readers, plus it is written and drawn by one of the most influential creators in comics. If you're looking for comics to introduce your young 'un to, this is where you should look. I could see parents reading this book to their children before bedtime over and over again. If you're a comic fan and have kids, you've got to check this one out.
—Ain't It Cool
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