Nina Crews

The traditional tale of a boy who planted magic beans is reimagined as a city story of a spell broken. Illustrations are photographs that have been manipulated for good effect.

Jack and Guy, his action figure, don’t always play with Jack’s little brother, Gus. When Guy gets stuck in a tree, however, the brothers cooperate to get him down. Inventive play is portrayed by white lines over crisp, realistic photographs.

Familiar rhymes and ditties are set in a city by clever photo-collage images. The diverse casts of characters bring new life to poems appealing and appropriate for the youngest listener.