Heroes, Heroines & Tricksters
Staff -- School Library Journal, 11/1/1997
Throughout this month's curriculum connectors, folkloric figures loom large in retellings of traditional legends and lore, and in original tall-tale creations. Looking at this literature provides readers with some laudable role models and some laughable situations as disparate characters match wits and vie for the all-important upper hand. A rousing roundup guaranteed to entertain and educate young readers.
AARDEMA, Verna, retel. Borreguita and the Coyote. illus. by Petra Mathers. Knopf. Tr $15. ISBN 0-679-80921-X; PLB $16.99. ISBN 0-679-90921-4.
K-Gr 3 -- A clever lamb outfoxes a hungry, dim-witted coyote in a triumph of brains over brawn. Vibrantly hued, expansive illustrations of the Mexican countryside illuminate a story that honors imaginative action. (Aug. 1991)
AGEE, John. The Return of Freddy LeGrand. illus. by author. Farrar. Tr $15. ISBN 0-374-36249-1; pap. $4.95. ISBN 0-374-46230-5.
Gr 1-3 -- The daring escapades of an unflappable flier who crashes into a French farmyard and charms the owners, Sophie and Albert, who take him under their wing again when he is stranded in the Alps. A deadpan delivery, balanced by droll, stylized illustration. (Nov. 1992)
ALEXANDER, Lloyd. The Fortune-Tellers. illus. by Trina Schart Hyman. Dutton. RTE $15.99. ISBN 0-525-44849-7.
Gr 1-4 -- A master storyteller and an art maven join forces to create some marvelous, magical images. The texture of life and the colors of Cameroon are interwoven into this telling tale about a young man who wants to see what his future holds. (Sept. 1992)
ALEXANDER, Lloyd. The House Gobbaleen. illus. by Diane Goode. Dutton. Tr $15.99. ISBN 0-525-45289-3.
PreS-Gr 4 -- A wise cat rescues his dimwitted master from a cantankerous, conniving goblin in this turnabout tale of luck and the folly of wishes. A perfect marriage of waggish dialogue and droll art. (Sept. 1995)
ASBJORNSEN, Peter Christen. Three Billy Goats Gruff. retold and illus. by Glen Rounds. Holiday. RTE $15.95. ISBN 0-8234-1015-3; pap. $5.95. ISBN 0-8234-1136-2.
PreS-Gr 3 -- Through bold strokes and fine lines, Rounds creates three goats to be reckoned with and a troll who exudes nastiness. A bare-bones retelling of an old tale that will never be "told out." (June 1993)
BERENZY, Alix. A Frog Prince. illus. by author. Holt. Tr $14.95. ISBN 0-8050-0426-2; pap. $5.95. ISBN 0-8050-1848-4.
Gr 2-4 -- The hero of this neoclassical fairy tale is a veritable prince of a frog -- brave, honest, and true. Overcoming great obstacles and depths of despair, he is finally rewarded with his heart's desire. Vivid paintings are rich in detail and illuminated with jewel-like gleam in this sparkling effort. (Oct. 1989)
CECIL, Laura, retel. The Frog Princess. illus. by Emma Chichester Clark. Greenwillow. RTE $16. ISBN 0-688-13506-4.
PreS-Gr 3 -- Three foolish princes find sensible wives, one of whom has a croak in her throat and is particularly clever. Frivolity abounds in both snappy text and vibrant watercolors. (Apr. 1995)
COHN, Amy L., comp. From Sea to Shining Sea: A Treasury of American Folklore and Folk Songs. Scholastic. RTE $29.95. ISBN 0-590-42868-3.
K Up -- Across the country, across the curriculum, this expansive compendium of Americana was truly "made for you and me." Beginning with an Iroquois Creation legend and following the course of human events through the 1990s, this impressive volume, stunningly illustrated by a roll call of Caldecott honorees, really is a treasure. (Nov. 1993)
HAMILTON, Virginia. Her Stories: African American Folktales, Fairy Tales, and True Tales. illus. by Leo & Diane Dillon. Blue Sky: Scholastic. RTE $19.95. ISBN 0-590-47370-0.
Gr 4 Up -- Nineteen marvelous selections retold by a master storyteller. Whether magical, eerie, comic, or touching, the tales are aptly served by the gorgeous, glowing acrylic paintings. (Nov. 1995)
HAN, Suzanne Crowder. The Rabbit's Escape. illus. by Yumi Heo. Holt. Tr $15.95. ISBN 0-8050-2675-4.
K-Gr 3 -- In this gratifying version of a familiar folktale, trickery is exposed, faithfulness is rewarded, and the ailing Dragon King is cured via some ginseng root. The primitive, stylized artwork transports readers to a magical kingdom under the sea. (June 1995)
ISAACS, Anne. Swamp Angel. illus. by Paul O. Zelinsky. Dutton. Tr $15.99. ISBN 0-525-45271-0.
K-Gr 3 -- Thundering Tarnation! With its good-natured, larger-than-life heroine and broad, fanciful paintings, this original Tennessee tall tale is exhilarating and side-splittingly funny. (Dec. 1994)
LESTER, Julius. Sam and the Tigers: A New Telling of Little Black Sambo. illus. by Jerry Pinkney. Dial. Tr $15.99. ISBN 0-8037-2028-9; PLB $15.89. ISBN 0-8037-2029-7.
PreS-Gr 3 -- A reimagining of Little Black Sambo set in Sam-sam-sa-mara, where everyone is named Sam. Lilting language and exuberant artwork give an old story bold, new, (and politically correct) life. (Aug. 1996)
OSBORNE, Mary Pope. American Tall Tales. illus. by Michael McCurdy. Knopf. Tr $22. ISBN 0-679-80089-1; PLB $20.99. ISBN 0-679-90089-6.
Gr 3-6 -- In the grand storytelling tradition of exaggerating for the sake of a good yarn, Osborne pays homage to the geographic and occupational diversity of our nation's folk personages. Jaunty descriptions, informative notes, and handsome wood engravings give them new leases on life. (Dec. 1991)
SANDBURG, Carl. More Rootabagas. illus. by Paul O. Zelinsky. Knopf. PLB $18.99. ISBN 0-679-90070-5.
Gr 4-8 -- These 10 previously unpublished stories are chock-full of the wisdom and whimsy of Sandburg's classic Rootabaga Stories, and have the added attraction of Zelinsky's fine colored-pencil interpretations of the fanciful characters and scenes. (Dec. 1993)
SCIESZKA, Jon. The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales. illus. by Lane Smith. Viking. RTE $16.99. ISBN 0-670-84487-X.
Gr 2-6 -- Nine irreverent and witty exposés of folkloric folk, ingeniously designed, outrageously illustrated, and all narrated by the ubiquitous Jack (of Beanstalk fame), with his tongue firmly planted in his cheek. (Sept. 1992)
STEVENS, Janet, retel. Coyote Steals the Blanket: a Ute Tale. illus. by retel. Holiday. RTE $15.95. ISBN 0-8234-0996-1; pap. $6.95. ISBN 0-8234-1129-X.
K-Gr 3 -- When Coyote swipes a blanket, thus angering the spirit of the desert, he is pursued by a rock on a rampage. This traditional trickster tale features a scraggly, scruffy yet lovable character, a narrative that will roll right off storytellers' tongues, and hilarious pictures of boastful animals trying to halt the furious boulder. (June 1993)
TRIVIZAS, Eugene. The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig. illus. by Helen Oxenbury. McElderry. Tr $17. ISBN 0-689-50569-8; pap. $5.99. ISBN 0-689-81528-X.
PreS-Gr 3 -- A menacing pig is thwarted by three endearing young wolves in this new twist on the porcine favorite. Three cheers for these frisky, frolicking creatures -- and for the swine who learns the joy of friendship and beauty. (Dec. 1993)
VAN ALLSBURG, Chris. The Widow's Broom. illus. by author. Houghton. Tr $17.95. ISBN 0-395-64051-2.
K-Gr 5 -- When a widow finds a talented broom than can do her chores, she can hardly believe her good fortune -- until her covetous neighbors insist it must be evil. A bewitching story of trickery, jealousy, suspicion, and magic, paired with looming illustrations that subtly heighten the drama. (Nov. 1992)
WELLS, Rosemary. Max and Ruby's First Greek Myth: Pandora's Box. illus. by author. Dial. Tr $11.99. ISBN 0-8037-1524-2; PLB $11.89. ISBN 0-8037-1525-0.
PreS-Gr 3 -- Bossy Ruby instructs her younger brother on the hazards of snooping via her thoroughly modern retelling of the classic myth. These rabbit siblings have never been funnier -- or more endearing. (Oct. 1993)
WILLARD, Nancy, retel. Beauty and the Beast. illus. by Barry Moser. Harcourt. RTE $20. ISBN 0-15-206052-9.
Gr 3-6 -- With its towering combination of powerful and evocative prose, this is a splendid version of an old favorite with a new twist: it's set in turn-of-the-century New York. (Oct. 1992)
WOOD, Audrey. The Bunyans. illus. by David Shannon. Scholastic/Blue Sky. RTE $15.95. ISBN 0-590-48089-8.
K-Gr 4 -- A rip-roaring look at the oversized Bunyan family, whose massive sizes and misadventures were the cause of many of America's natural wonders. A colossal success. (Dec. 1996)
WOOLDRIDGE, Connie Nordhielm, adapt. Wicked Jack. illus. by Will Hillenbrand. Holiday. RTE $15.95. ISBN 0-8234-1101-X.
K-Gr 3 -- The blacksmith in this rollicking romp is so mean that neither heaven nor hell will admit him, and he is destined to roam the Great Dismal Swamp for all eternity. A spirited adaptation of a "Jack Tale," with devilishly funny pictures. (Dec. 1995)
YOLEN, Jane. The Ballad of the Pirate Queens. illus. by David Shannon. Harcourt. RTE $15. ISBN 0-15-200710-5.
Gr 3-6 -- This rousing tale charts the changing fortunes of "Calico Jack" Rackhamm and his crew, particularly of his wife Anne Bonney and sister in crime Mary Reade. Sweeping acrylic paintings set the briny scenes and cinematic action. (June 1995)
