Heilbroner. This Is the House Where Jack Lives

This Is the House Where Jack Lives is a children's book by Joan Heilbroner, with art by Aliki, published in 1962. It is available at the Internet Archive.

Here is a YouTube read-along:

This is a nice example of a super-simple "Jack" story; like the traditional "Jack" it starts off with the short lines, then adds rhyme, and it's told cumulatively. And wouldn't you know it: a cat's the troublemaker!

This is the cat that liked to play,
That jumped on the girl so fat and gay,
That shook the mop so old and gray,
That bumped the man,
That held the pail,
That fell on the boat,
That walked the dog,
That lives in the house
Where Jack lives.

Other missteps and mishaps occur because of that cat... and in the end we finally meet Jack and find out he is a troublemaker too: he lets the bath water keep running too long!

Not the best "Jack" story, but it's a good example of the formula, something that might give you some ideas of your own.

Tafuri. This Is the Farmer

This Is the Farmer is a children's book by Nancy Tafuri, with art by the author, published in 1994. It is available at the Internet Archive.

Here is a YouTube read-along:

This is a great ultra-simple chain tale: no rhymes, not cumulative, just a simple step by step by step, with lovely art, too! It starts with the farmer who kisses his wife... who pats the dog, who scratches the flea, that lands on the cat, and on it goes!

Not much happens, but it's very sweet, and a great example of how to build a chain from simple materials. The ending is not much of an ending: the farmer goes to milk the cow. But just imagine would chain could start from milking a cow!

Hayes. This Is the Bear

This Is the Bear is a children's book by Sarah Hayes, with art by Helen Craig, published in 1986. It is available at the Internet Archive.

Here is a YouTube read-along:

This is a very sweet book! It's not exactly a "Jack" type of chain, but it is told in very simple rhyme, and does have a chain of sorts as the story goes from the bear who fell in a bin, a dog who pushed him in, a man who picked up the sack, and the driver who would not come back. 

That's how the bear ends up in the trash dump: poor little bear! The rest of the story tells how the boy finally found his bear at the dump; it's not much of a chain, but it is a very sweet story, all in rhyming couplets.

Here's how the story winds down at the end, and notice how there is commentary from the characters in the illustrations, in addition to the rhyming couplets:

The only reason I'm giving this just two stars is because it's not fully a chain tale, but it was so cute, I still wanted to include it here.

Fleming. This Is the Baby

This Is the Baby is a children's book by Candace Fleming, with art by Maggie Smith, published in 2004. It is available at the Internet Archive.

Here is a YouTube read-along:

This is a delightful story in traditional "Jack" style all about a baby who doesn't want to be dressed: "This is the diaper, often a mess, that goes on the baby who hates to be dressed."

Note the rhyming couplets!

And look, in the end the chain unwinds, and baby undresses!

Let's just hope the book-banners do not set their sights on this book; I think it is completely adorable!

Verburg. The Tree House that Jack Built

The Tree House that Jack Built is a children's book by Bonnie Verburg, with art by Mark Teague, published in 2014. It is available at the Internet Archive.

Here is a YouTube read-along:

The story is told in traditional "Jack" style: it starts with a fly that buzzes by, then a lizard that snaps at the fly, a parrot who pecks at the lizard, and so on. But the book does not follow a strict "Jack" formula from start to finish. For example, there are some verses interjected that are not part of the chain, as you can see here:

There is also a "story time" interlude, where Jack tells the animals a story, and then a new chain starts up at the end as the story winds down and Jack goes to bed.

This is not my favorite story, but the illustrations are very nice, with lots of details to discuss if you are reading the book together with a child.

Szekeres. The Mouse that Jack Built

The Mouse that Jack Built is a children's book by Cyndy Szekeres, with art by the author, published in 1997. It is available at the Internet Archive.

Here is a YouTube read-along:

The mouse is a snow-mouse, and Jack is a rabbit (I supposed because of jack-rabbits!), as you can see from the cover of the book. The lines get longer and start to rhyme, as in the traditional Jack. Jack ends up using his own hat and scarf to "build" the snow-mouse:

His mother calls him to come home, and she makes him put his hat and scarf back on:

This twist is what gives the story its ending: his mother knits him a new hat and scarf, so the next day Jack the rabbit can go put the old hat and scarf back on the snow-mouse.

This is not my favorite story, but the drawings are very cute; you can see more of her work here: Cyndy Szekeres at R. Michelson Galleries.

Lobiecki. The Prairie that Nature Built

The Prairie that Nature Built is a children's book by Marybeth Lobiecki, with art by Cathy Morrison, published in 2014. It is available at the Internet Archive.

Here is a YouTube read-along:

The story is told with long lines and rhymes from the start as the chain accumulates: These are the critters that worm and squirm / Alive in the dirt so dark and thick under the prairie that nature built.

There are some couplets that are inserted in the story, separate from the chain, as you can see here: Some of these critters squirm so small / Without a glass, you can't see them all. / But they are big eaters, and builders too, / Making good earth from animal poo.

Then come the roots and the plants, then the insects and birds, then grazers, and hunters (like fox and wolf), and then lightning that sparks fire, and then rain. The plants begin to grow again... and then here comes a child taking a walk, accompanied by a dog, with a chain of short lines to end the story.

Afterwards, there is a "Prairie Primer" with ecological information and resources to explore.

Rudy. The House that Mouse Built

The House that Mouse Built is a children's book by Maggie Rudy and Pam Abrams, with art by Bruce Wolf, published in 2011. It is available at the Internet Archive.

Here is a YouTube read-along:

This lovely book features photographs of a tiny mouse-world; Maggie Rudy is the creator of the mouse-world; find out more at her blog.

The story starts with "This is the house that Mouse built." There's cheese in the house, which Musetta steals, then comes the bumblebee, who stings Musetta. Wooly Bear scares the Bee; Musetta thanks him, and here comes Mouse when he hears Musetta, who take a stroll and fall in love, and then they go to the judge, who marries them, then comes a baby mouse... and little mouse loves to hear the story about: "When the kind old judge, with long, white hair / Married his parents - a happy pair..." (etc.). The story is told cumulatively, in rhyme.

Becker. The Haunted House that Jack Built

The Haunted House that Jack Built is a children's book by Helaine Becker, with art by David Parkins, published in 2010. It is available at the Internet Archive.

Here is a YouTube read-along:

We begin in Jack's house where the stew is cooling, then here comes a ghost, then a ghoul, a mummy, a beast with a pointy horn (that's when it switches to the longer lines, as in the traditional "Jack"), then a fairy all forlorn (yes, the same rhyme as in "Jack"), then a count (Dracula) on the prowl until morn, then a skeleton, tattered and torn, then a witch, her wickedness sworn; finally, a monster popping the corn... now everybody takes off their masks, and eat their stew, and their trick-or-treats too. 

My favorite is the beast with the pointy horn:

There are a lot of Halloween-themed books out there; I really like the way this one stays close to the form of the traditional "Jack" while creating its own trick-or-treat world.

Taylor. The House that Crack Built

The House that Crack Built is a children's book by J. Clark Taylor, with art by Jan Thompson Dicks, published in 1992. It is available at the Internet Archive.

Here is a YouTube read-along:

This one is about as somber as they get. The story works backward from the cartel: the house that crack built belongs to a drug lord. We then meet the Man, then the Soldiers who guard the Man, then Farmers, then Plants (that people can't eat), then the Drug known as cocaine; next, we move to the Street of a town in pain (it rhymes!), then the Gang, fleet and elite, and the Cop working his beat... it's heavy stuff:

As you can see, the new line is in larger type, with the cumulative chain in smaller type.

Next comes a Boy, and his Crack, and a Girl, then a Baby with nothing to eat, and the Tears we cry in our sleep. Ohhhhh.... it is very sad, and very powerful. And it was published over 30 years ago, but is just as relevant now as ever. What an indictment of our society!

In the back, there's an afterword about fighting back, along with further information and resources for help. 

Ashburn. The Fort that Jack Built

The Fort that Jack Built is a children's book by Boni Ashburn, with art by Brett Helquist, published in 2013. It is available at the Internet Archive.

Here is a YouTube read-along:

The story opens with the building of the fort, piece by piece (table, chairs, pillows, stool, books, shower curtain, dog leash, sheets, quilt, ):

The next part of the story narrates the dismantling of the fort, as the members of Jack's family come and take back the pieces, one by one. It's told in rhyme but not told cumulatively, although there is a refrain that repeats. For example, here's what happens when Jack's dad comes to reclaim his chair:

This is Jack's dad. "I need my chair, Jack!
And your fort... I can't see. I can't see the TV!"
There goes the last chair, and the whole northern side,
and the holes and the gaps and the cracks much too wide,
and the sag from the dog,
who WOOFed! with a WAG!
and almost collapsed
the fort that Jack built.

But don't worry: even when the fort is gone, grandma saves the day.

Thompson. The Apple Pie That Papa Baked

The Apple Pie That Papa Baked is a children's book by Lauren Thompson, with art by Jonathan Bean, published in 2007. It is available at the Internet Archive.

Here is a YouTube read-along:

The story works backwards from the pie to the apples to the tree, to the roots, the rain, the clouds, the sky, the sun, the world. The lines do not rhyme, but they are all strong four-beat lines, with adjectives for each of the objects in the chain. For example, here's where the clouds become part of the story:

These are the clouds, heaped and round,
that dropped the rain, cool and fresh,
that watered the roots, deep and fine,
that fed the tree, crooked and strong,
that grew the apples, juicy and red,
that went in the pie, warm and sweet,
that Papa baked.

The illustrations are an important part of this book. For example, they add animal characters who do not appear in the text itself, like this horse who is fond of apples:

Edwards. Jack and Jill's Treehouse

Jack and Jill's Treehouse is a children's book by Pamela Duncan Edwards, with art by Henry Cole, published in 2008. It is available at the Internet Archive.

Here is a YouTube read-along:

Edwards and Cole teamed up also for The Wright Brothers. For this project, they've used rebus style for the cumulative chain. Here's how it looks as it wraps up; the chain is branch - wood - floor - roof - light - table - treats - friends - birds:

And the ending is just: HOORAY for the treehouse that Jack and Jill built!

This is a great example of an ultra-simple "Jack" story: only two-beat lines, no rhymes, narrating a series of events, one after the other, and the story is about realistic, everyday events — this really could be a treehouse. The innovative twist is the rebus design element!

Sims. The Castle that Jack Built

The Castle that Jack Built is a children's book by Lesley Sims, with art by Mike Gordon, published in 2007. It is available at the Internet Archive.

Here is a YouTube read-along:

It's told cumulatively with some fun rhymes, shifting from short lines to long lines, just like in the traditional "Jack" nursery rhyme. Plus, there's a fun twist where the frog character, kissed by the princess, returns in the final recitation as... the prince!

This is the prince who came to town
and kissed the girl in a silver gown.
He was the frog with a grumpy frown
who hopped from the wagon turned upside down,
tipped by the troll with the scritchy itch
who upset the witch who sat in the wagon
that followed the dragon
who stole the gold
that sat in the castle
that Jack built.

Then there's a coda at the end:

This is King Jack with his golden crown.
His son is the prince who came to town
and kissed the girl in a silver gown.
And they all lived happily ever after,
safe in the castle that Jack built.

This is a great example of blending new content with a very traditional "Jack" form! The illustrations are also very charming:

Capucilli. Inside a House That is Haunted

Inside a House That is Haunted is a children's book by Alyssa Capucilli, with art by Tedd Arnold, published in 1999. It is available at the Internet Archive.

Here is a YouTube read-along:

The book is a "rebus read-along," and you can see how that works below; the verses are in rhyming couplets, and the chain goes from hand to spider to ghost to cat to bat to owl to mummy to skeleton to monster:

And so the story ends: that woke the monster who stomped on huge feet, threw open the door, and heard, "TRICK OR TREAT!" inside a house that is haunted.

Whereupon everyone runs! The trick-or-treater is scary!

This is a fun book, especially because of the twist at the end where the little kid is the scariest of all!

Johnson. The Cow in the Kitchen

The Cow in the Kitchen is a children's book by Evelyne Johnson, with art by Anthony Rao, published in 1983. It is available at the Internet Archive.

This is a version of the "squeezing in" one more so that you can appreciate how nice it is when things return to the old normal. This version features a farmer and his family who live in a very small house. The village wise man tells him to bring the cow into the kitchen, then a goat, then a lamb (the farmer complains to the wise man in cumulative fashion, with the animals all making their own noises), then some ducks, then chickens, and when the rooster starts crowing, the wise man tells him to send all the animals out of the kitchen... and everyone in the family is so happy about how big their house is! 

The art is delightful: here's the full kitchen!

Banks. Peter and the Talking Shoes

Peter and the Talking Shoes is a children's book by Kate Banks, with art by Marc Rosenthal, published in 1994. It is available at the Internet Archive.

What a delightful book! Peter gets new shoes and his father gives him money to go buy a loaf of bread. The baker says he needs a feather to bake bread as light as a feather, so Peter goes to look for a feather. The shoes tell him where to go: the farmer's rooster (they once belonged to the son of a farmer). The farmer needs buttons to hold up his pants. The shoes send him to the tailor (they belonged to the son of a tailor). The tailor needs a nail to fix his roof. The shoes send him to the carpenter, who needs a key to get in the door of the house. Then: locksmith, who wants his keys to jingle a tune. And Peter knows what to do because he is the son of a musician! The keys sing, and so we go on back through the chain, until Peter goes home with his loaf of bread. His father says the shoes must be slow, but Peter replies: "They sure are smart."

Look at how cute the shoes are: the shoelaces make the eyes!

Edwards. The Wright Brothers

The Wright Brothers is a children's book by Pamela Duncan Edwards, with art by Henry Code, published in 2003. It is available at the Internet Archive.

This is a "Jack" style story with long lines and no rhymes. Here's the concluding set of verses, which is actually one enormously long sentence!

And these are the triumphs of THE AGE OF FLIGHT,
which was born with THE FLYER, powered by the engine

built by the Wrights following their success with the craft

that eventually flew after many attempts

to take off from the beach where they tested

the gliders based on the kite inspired by the

wings of the buzzards soaring over

the bicycle shop opened by Wilbur and Orville

years after making a printing press designed by

the brothers, whose interest in flying was sparked

by a toy that whirled through the sky,

which was conquered in flight in 1903. 

As you might have noticed in the screenshot above, there's some commentary from the mice who watch what is going on from the field, and from other locations too; they even take a hot air balloon and also fly a kite to observe more closely.

The inside coverpages have a timeline.

Hogrogian. The Cat Who Loved to Sing

The Cat Who Loved to Sing is a children's book by Nonny Hogrogian, with art by the author, published in 1988. It is available at the Internet Archive.

This lovely book is inspired by an Armenian cumulative tale, and also by Hogrogian's own cat. It starts off with a singing cat who gets a thorn in his paw. A woman takes the thorn out and says it will make a good needle, and she gives him bread in exchange. This begins a series of exchanges, and the cat sings a cumulative song about it all. So, you can see how the chain works in the cat's song:

Trala lala
I gave my thorn and got some bread.
I lost the bread and gained a hen.
I gave the hen for some nice red yarn.
I traded the yarn for a fine old coat.
I gave the coat to get a dog
and swapped the dog for a nice fat lamb.
I traded the lamb for a mandolin,
and this I will keep to play my songs.
Trala lala lala lala.

The song does not narrate the characters, which are: woman, fox, a young bride, an old woman, an old man, a farmer, and a shepherd (he's the one with the mandolin).

The art, of course, is lovely; Hogrogian is a wonderful artist: