In this updated version of the traditional story, it is a girl named Kate (rather than a boy named Jack) who trades her family`s cow for magic beans. When the beans sprout into a huge beanstalk, Kate climbs up it and encounters the cruel giant who has stolen from her poor family. Relying on her wits, Kate manages to defeat the giant and recover all of her family`s belongings. Gouache and watercolor illustrations accompany the text. Named one of the Best Children`s Books 2000 by Publishers Weekly.