Many, many cultures have traditional tales that involve a trickster main character. Earlier I wrote a series of two posts about Anansi, a tricky spider from west Africa: Anansi tales retold by Eric Kimmel and Even More Anansi Trickster Tales. Gerald McDermott is another wonderful picture book author-illustrator who has written a series of stories focusing on different trickster characters from around the world. This post provides a quick overview of these different books and creative tricksters. African Trickster Tales Zomo the Rabbit: a trickster tale from West Africa (also available in Spanish). Zomo faces an impossible task but is able to use his tricks to meet each one, until he realizes that the joke might be on him! (Based on a Nigerian folktale.) Anansi the Spider: a tale from the Ashanti (a Caldecott Honor book). This Anansi story includes an informative prologue about Ghana, the Ashanti people, and Anansi's role as a folk-hero and trickster.In this story, Anansi gets into trouble and is saved by the cooperation of his variously-talented spider sons. When he tries to give them a gift in thanks, he cannot decide which son deserves it, so his bright shining gift becomes the moon up in the sky. Asian Trickster Tales Monkey: a trickster tale from India. Monkey twice manages to outwit Crocodile who is waiting in the water to eat him. A sort-of pourquoi tale about why the crocodile lays low in the water. (The story is attributed to the Jataka tales from 3rd-4th century BC India and translated into English from Sanskrit in 1895.) North American Trickster Tales Coyote: a trickster tale from the American Southwest. Coyote is a common trickster among many North American tribes, but this version of the tale come from the Zuni of the American Southwest. In this particular tale, Coyote is quite hapless and is himself tricked by a group of crows who decide to have a little fun with him. This story also answers the question of why coyotes follow their nose and are grey with black tips for their noses. Raven: a trickster tale from the Pacific Northwest (a Caldecott Honor book). Raven is a skilled trickster in Pacific Northwest traditional tales, but this particular tale is not attributed to an individual tribe. In this story, Raven must trick the Sky Chief himself in order to bring light and the sun to humanity. Pig-Boy: a trickster tale from Hawai'i. Pig-Boy is based on the shape-shifting Hawaiian trickster, Kamapua-a. Hungry pig-boy becomes a variety of other creatures in his attempts to evade the angry king and even spends some time as a humu-humu-nuku-nuku-apua'a fish. (Sorry, just had to include that one in there!) South American Trickster Tales Jabuti the Tortoise: a trickster tale from the Amazon. This Jabuti tale references several others tricked by Jabuti, but in this story, Jabuti himself is tricked by Vulture who is jealous of his song and colors. This pourquoi tale explains why the tortoise's shell looks cracked and why Vulture is black when other birds are colorful. This Jabuti tale comes from the Tupi-Guarani tribe of the rain forests of Brazil. Papago: the Mischief Maker. Papagayo is a bit of a bully and annoyance to the other creatures of the Amazon rain forest, especially to those who preferred to sleep during the day. But when the fearsome moon-dog starts eating away at the moon, it is Papagayo who convinces the nocturnal animals to scare him away. (No specific attribution.) Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday Challenge is hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy and is a weekly roundup of educator blogs that are sharing nonfiction picture books. Click the link to check out other nonfiction posts.
Anansi stories from West Africa, are "trickster" folktales because the small spider uses his intelligence and trickiness to triumph larger creatures.
Every year, my students fall in love with Trickster Tales. This sub-genre of traditional tales never ceases to delight with its tricky heroes and unexpected twists. Since Africa is our first unit of study, Anansi is often the first trickster we meet during the course of the year. This post will provide a quick overview of the five Anansi tales retold by Eric Kimmel, and next week I will introduce Anansi stories by a variety of authors and illustrators. Anansi Trickster Tales retold Eric Kimmel Eric Kimmel has written a series of picture book based on African Anansi tales, which Janet Stevens illustrated. These are a delightful way to introduce your students to Anansi. Anansi and the Talking Melon. I usually introduce my students to Anansi through his story, either this version, or through the Reading A-Z version, Anansi and the Talking Watermelon retold by Kitty Higgins and illustrated by Patrick Girouard. Greedy Anansi is busy eating melons in elephant's garden when he finds himself so stuffed that he cannot get back out. Instead, he decides to trick elephant by convincing him that he is, in fact, a talking melon. (Based on a West African folktale.) Anansi and the Magic Stick. The plot of this story derives from a Liberian story called The Magic Hoe but it will be quite familiar to The Sorceror's Apprentice in Fantasia and Strega Nona by Tomie de Paola. Anansi kidnaps Jackal's magic stick only to find that his laziness in giving directions leads to disastrous consequences! These last three are a bit different than the first two. Anansi is successful in Anansi and the Talking Melon and suffers no real consequences in Anansi and the Magic Stick, but in these last three tales, our trickster finds himself on the end of some tricks. Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock is probably my favorite of the bunch. Last year I turned it into a quick Reader's Theater-style play that my third graders ended up performing in front of the whole school, and it was riot. Here, Anansi discovers a strange moss-covered rock with the power to knock its viewer unconscious, and he uses it to trick a variety of animals. But little does Anansi know that he is being observed, and he ends up being tricked himself. (No attribution to this story.) Anansi Goes Fishing. Anansi sees his friend Turtle's success at fishing and concludes that he can trick Turtle into doing all the work. But soon Turtle agrees to "get tired," while Anansi does the work and split the jobs up that way. Students find it quite hilarious to watch Anansi get drawn deeper and deeper into Turtle's nonsense. (No attribution in this book, but a similar story, Anansi's Fishing Expedition appears in The Cow-Tail Switch and Other West African Stories and is sourced to a recording in Ghana.) Anansi's Party Time. Anansi has decided to get even with Turtle for tricking him in the previous book and so invites Turtle to a party that is doomed to fail.What Anansi does not anticipate is Turtle "returning" the favor and inviting Anansi to a similar party. (No attribution in this book either, but a broadly similar story, Hungry Spider and the Turtle appears in The Cow-Tail Switch and Other West African Stories and was recorded by author Harold Courlander from an Ashanti in Ghana.) Next week I will introduce some of the wide-range of other Anansi stories available in picture books and compilations suitable for children. Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday Challenge is hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy and is a weekly roundup of educator blogs that are sharing nonfiction picture books. Click the link to check out other nonfiction posts.
Our fabulous new teacher, Mrs. Wheeler, is acclimating herself to the 3rd grade team beautifully! She is part of the 2-teacher team of Jackson & Wheeler. Mrs. Jackson is in charge of all things science and math, while Mrs. Wheeler covers all things literacy and integrated social studies. Here's Mrs.Wheeler with her hubby. For the past few weeks, 3rd grade has been studying the difference in the genres of fairy tales, fables, and trickster tales. (as per the Common Core standards and units we are following) Mrs. Wheeler showed off her artistic and literary skills by making these fabulous anchor charts to help anchor student learning. Ummm... can we say "Wicked cute?" When I saw them, I knew I had to share! And here's another anchor chart for Accountable Talk during carpet time. Wonderful job, Mrs. Wheeler! Keep up the good work!
This post is part of a series of posts celebrating the countries and cultures of Latin America. The first post featured creation stories from Latin America. This post will focus on clever folk heros and trickster tales. The final post features tall tales. Señor Cat's Romance and Other Favorite Stories from Latin America (1997) retold by Lucia M. González and illustrated by Lulu Delacre. This collection features six short tales collected from across Latin America. Several feature folk heroes featured in other books in this post, including Juan Bobo, a trickster rabbit, and Martina the Beautiful Cockroach. (Read this post for reviews of other books featuring the Puerto Rican folk hero Juan Bobo.) Martina the Beautiful Cockroach: a Cuban folktale (2007) retold by Carmen Agra Deedy and illustrated by Michael Austin. (A Pura Belpré Honor Book.) In this version of the story, Martina must decide who to marry and agrees to follow the unusual advice of her Abuela - to see how each suitor reacts when coffee is spilled on him! This humorous tale provides great advice for looking beyond appearances and determining someone's inner character. Just a Minute: a trickster tale and counting book (2003) by Yuyi Morales (a Pura Belpré Award winner). In this inventive trickster tale, Grandma Beetle is surprised to find the skeleton Señor Calavera beckoning her to follow. Imposing on his politeness, Grandma Beetle continues with an escalating list of tasks (with numbers in both English and Spanish). Kids will delight in this outrageous outsmarting of Death. Juan Bobo is a popular trickster from Puerto Rico and one I have shared about many times before. There are many picture books written about him, and you can read more about all of them at this post: Meet Juan Bobo! Love and Roast Chicken: a trickster tale from the Andes Mountains retold by Barbara Knutson (also available in Spanish as Amor Y Pollo Asado). Poor cuy (guinea pig) is such a small, defenseless creature, that he must rely on his wits when he is threatened by Tio Antonio, the fox. His clever solutions to difficult situations will keep kids laughing and impressed by his creativity. Borreguita and the Coyote by Verna Aardema and illustrated by Petra Mathers. Based on a Mexican folktale poor Borreguita must find a way to outwit the wily coyote! Jabuti the Tortoise: a trickster tale from the Amazon by Gerald McDermott. This Jabuti tale references several others tricked by Jabuti, but in this story, Jabuti himself is tricked by Vulture who is jealous of his song and colors. This pourquoi tale explains why the tortoise's shell looks cracked and why Vulture is black when other birds are colorful. This Jabuti tale comes from the Tupi-Guarani tribe of the rain forests of Brazil. Papago: the Mischief Maker by Gerald McDermott. Papagayo is a bit of a bully and annoyance to the other creatures of the Amazon rain forest, especially to those who preferred to sleep during the day. But when the fearsome moon-dog starts eating away at the moon, it is Papagayo who convinces the nocturnal animals to scare him away. (No specific cultural attribution.) Share your favorite trickster tales in the comments!
NIGHTS WITH UNCLE REMUS by Joel Chandler Harris [1883] Below you will find the table of contents with a link to the text here at this blog, plus a link to the audio at LibriVox. I have edited the stories to remove the frame and also to remove the eye-dialect spelling. 1 . Mr. Fox and Miss Goose [ Mr. Fox and Miss Goose ] Summary: Brer Rabbit advises Goose to roll up her laundry and put it into the bed to fool the Fox, and Dog helps chase him away. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 119 Lester: Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 4 LibriVox 2 . Brother Fox Catches Mr. Horse [ Brer Fox Rides the Horse ] Summary: Brer Rabbit manages to tie Brer Fox to a horse's tail, and then tells the Fox to hold the horse down. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 123 Lester: Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 6 LibriVox 3 . Brother Rabbit and the Little Girl [ Brer Rabbit in the Garden ] Summary: Rabbit repeatedly tricks girl into letting him into her father's garden. Girl tells Man; he traps Rabbit and leaves girl to guard him. Rabbit sings, then offers to dance if she unties him. While dancing, he runs away. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 126 Lester: Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 78 LibriVox 4 . Brother Fox Copies Brer Rabbit [ Fox in the Road ] Summary: Fox plays dead in road as Man goes to market. The third time makes Man suspicious, so he whips Fox to be sure. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 130 Lester: Further Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 3 LibriVox 5 . Brother Rabbit's Astonishing Prank [ Rabbit's Wild Costume ] Summary: Rabbit sneaks in Bear's house, gets covered in honey and leaves, with results that other animals think he is a monster. He shouts that he is the will-o-the-wisp. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 133 Lester: Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 127 LibriVox 6 . Brother Rabbit Secures a Mansion [ Animal House ] Summary: Animals build house together; Rabbit shirks work. Rabbit then drives them all out with deceptions involving a gun, a cannon, and slop water. He thus takes possession of the house. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 137 Lester: More Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 36 LibriVox 7 . Mr. Lion Hunts for Mr. Man [ Mr. Lion Hunts for Mr. Man ] Summary: Lion wants to challenge Man. Steer warns him, and Horse, and Sparrow. Lion finds Man using wedges, but doesn't recognize him. Man offers to go get "man" while Lion puts paw in opening. Man returns and whips him. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 141 Lester: Further Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 8 LibriVox 8 . The Story of the Pigs [ The Pigs and the Wolf ] Summary: Dying pig warns piglets to beware of wolf, but he eats two by offering corn, third lets him in bit by bit, and he also eats fourth. The fifth pig gets him to come in chimney and burns him up in fire. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 145 Lester: Further Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 95 LibriVox 9 . Mr. Benjamin Ram and His Wonderful Fiddle [ Benjamin Ram Plays the Fiddle ] Summary: Ram gets lost and ends up in Wolf's house. Ram's music scares the wolves off into the swamp. He spends the night in their house and then goes on his way. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 149 Lester: Further Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 101 LibriVox 10 . Brother Rabbit's Riddle [ Brer Rabbit's Riddle ] Summary: Fox plans to trap Rabbit coming down from peach tree, but Rabbit escapes. Rabbit tells a riddle and traps Fox's head in a beehive. Rabbit tells the riddle to Fox's grandfather also. Bear releases Fox and beats him for stealing honey. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 154 Lester: Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 91 LibriVox 11 . How Mr. Rooster Lost His Dinner [ Brer Rooster and the Cornbread ] Summary: Flock has party but Rooster gets angry when he sees only cornbread to eat and stomps off. Others scratch, find rest of food beneath. That's why chickens always scratch now. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 158 Lester: Last Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 147 LibriVox 12 . Brother Rabbit Breaks Up a Party [ Brer Rabbit Comes to the Party ] Summary: Fox doesn't invite Rabbit to party. Rabbit plays drum that scares animals off. He drinks up the party liquor. They come back, put him on trial, and Rabbit tricks them into throwing him in the creek with a walking cane that he uses to wade out of the water. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 161 Lester: Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 134 LibriVox 13 . Brother Fox, Brother Rabbit, and King Deer's Daughter [ Fox, Rabbit, and King Deer's Daughter ] Summary: Fox and Rabbit court King Deer's daughter. Rabbit kills King's goats, convinces King Deer that Fox did it. Then Rabbit teaches Fox a courtship song in which Fox indicts himself. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 166 Lester: Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 131 LibriVox 14 . Brother Terrapin Deceives Brother Buzzard [ Turtle, Buzzard, and the Honey ] Summary: Turtle and Buzzard partners to seek honey. Turtle finds honey on ground, eats it all. When Buzzard comes, Turtle burns him up in the hive, then uses feathers to make quill-pipes. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 170 Lester: Further Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 22 LibriVox 15 . Brother Fox Covets the Quills [ Fox and Turtle's Quill-Pipe ] Summary: Fox wants Turtle's quill-pipe; Turtle says no. Fox asks to see it, then grabs it. Turtle bites Fox but he gets away. Then Turtle hides in mud, bites Fox again, and Fox gives back pipe. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 173 Lester: Further Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 25 LibriVox 16 . How Brother Fox Failed to Get His Grapes [ Mister Fox and the Grapes ] Summary: Fox and Rabbit compete for the gals. Rabbit tells Fox about far-off grapes, but it was a wasp nest. Fox returns all swollen; gal says he must have eaten all the grapes. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 177 Lester: More Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 10 LibriVox 17 . Mr. Fox Figures as an Incendiary [ Turtle, Rabbit, and Fox in the Fire ] Summary: Fox tricks Turtle into looking for Ol' Boy in field, sets field on fire. Turtle finds Rabbit and they hide in log. Rabbit imitates Turtle's voice saying he caught Rabbit, luring Fox to walk on fire, burning his feet. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 182 Lester: More Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 106 LibriVox 18 . A Dream and a Story [ Wolf, Fox, and Buzzard ] Summary: Wolf traps Fox in tree; Buzzard listens till he thinks Fox is dead. Buzzard then opens up tree; Fox attacks him. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 185 Lester: Further Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 38 LibriVox 19 . The Moon In the Mill-Pond [ The Moon In the Mill-Pond ] Summary: Rabbit and Turtle plot fishing frolic. Rabbit says moon fell in water; Turtle says there's money under the moon. Fox, Wolf, and Bear get soaked trying to retrieve it. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 189 Lester: Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 96 LibriVox 20 . Brother Rabbit Takes Some Exercise [ Brer Rabbit Hears a Noise ] Summary: Rabbit hears noise in woods when man chops down a tree, and his alarm causes terror amongst all animals: Rabbit tells Coon who tells Fox who tells Wolf who tells Bear and finally Turtle. They finally realize it was all Brer Rabbit's fault. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 194 Lester: Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 113 LibriVox 21 . Why Brother Bear Has No Tail [ Why Brer Bear Has No Tail ] Summary: Rabbit taunts Bear into sliding down rock like Turtle and Mud-Turtle; Bear breaks off tail and runs away. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 199 Lester: Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 99 LibriVox 22 . How Brother Rabbit Frightened His Neighbors [ Fox, Bear, and Wolf decide to ambush Rabbit on way home from town with presents. Warned by a little bird, Rabbit makes a costume of tin goods and frightens them all. ] Summary: Fox, Bear, and Wolf decide to ambush Rabbit on way home from town with presents; he wears tin goods and frightens them all. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 202 Lester: More Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 60 LibriVox 23 . Mr. Man Has Some Meat [ Brer Rabbit and Mr. Man's Meat ] Summary: Fox and Rabbit plot to get Mr. Man's meat. Rabbit pretends Man's meat smells bad and tells Man to drag it to clean it. Rabbit supplies line. Man takes off pulling long line, and Rabbit replaces meat with rock and runs while Fox grabs the meat for them to share. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 206 Lester: More Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 56 LibriVox 24 . How Brother Rabbit Got the Meat [ Brer Fox, Brer Rabbit, and the Meat ] Summary: Fox and Rabbit eat meat and argue; Rabbit fools Fox into going to get a drink and then takes all the meat for himself. He then pretends Man is beating him, which scares Fox off. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 209 Lester: More Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 56 LibriVox 25 . African Jack [ The Fool and the Persimmons ] Summary: Introduction of African Jack, plus anecdote about a fool waiting for persimmons to fall into his mouth. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 214 [not in Lester] LibriVox 26 . Why the Alligator's Back Is Rough [ Brer Gator in Trouble ] Summary: Alligator boasts that he fears no trouble; Rabbit sets grass on fire, and he has to jump in water, which is how he got wrinkly skin. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 220 Lester: More Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 81 LibriVox 27 . Brother Wolf Says Grace [ Brer Wolf Says Grace ] Summary: Wolf catches Rabbit by hiding under grass in basket; Rabbit escapes by making Wolf say grace. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 224 Lester: Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 37 LibriVox 28 . Spirits, Seen and Unseen [ Ghosts and Witches ] Summary: Not a story, but a conversation about ghosts and witches, including jack-o-lanterns plus witches and their skins. There is a story about a man who found a witch skin, dried and shrunk it, and the witch was not able to put the skin back on again to acquire their human form, so the witch departed in wolf form instead. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 230 [not in Lester] LibriVox 29 . A Ghost Story [ The Silver Coins ] Summary: Man takes silver coins from eyes when burying dead woman; her ghost haunts him, wanting money. He dies of fright, and they bury him with the same silver coins on his eyes. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 235 Lester: Last Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 33 LibriVox 30 . Brother Rabbit and His Famous Foot [ The Lucky Rabbit Foot ] Summary: Miss Rabbit visiting Miss Bear talks about Brer Rabbit's purse. Wolf overhears and he steals the purse with the lucky rabbit foot. Rabbit goes to the Witch-Rabbit, who tells him Wolf took it, so Rabbit steals it back. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 239 Lester: Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 145 LibriVox 31 . In Some Lady's Garden [ Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox in the Garden ] Summary: Rabbit gets girl to let him into garden with false permission from her father. Man catches him raiding peanuts. Fox comes by; Rabbit says his punishment will be eating mutton, so Fox trades places, thinking he will get to eat mutton. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 246 Lester: Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 81 LibriVox 32 . Brother Possum Gets in Trouble [ Brer Rabbit and Brer Possum in the Garden ] Summary: Rabbit is trapped in garden and threatens girl to let him go: he threatens with teeth, pop-eyes, and ear-horns. Man ties Rabbit up in bag; Rabbit tells Possum he can hear the clouds singing this way, so Possum agrees to swap places. Man beats Possum, and also cuts off Rabbit's tail as he escapes. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 252 Lester: Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 87 LibriVox 33 . Why the Guinea-fowls Are Speckled [ How Guinea-Fowls Got Their Spots ] Summary: Lion attacks Cow. Guineas help Cow, so Cow awards them milk speckles. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 257 Lester: Last Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 88 LibriVox 34 . Brother Rabbit's Love-Charm [ Brer Rabbit's Love-Charm ] Summary: Rabbit is in love, so he goes to conjure man who tells him to get elephant tusk, gator tooth and bird beak. Rabbit uses tricks (gets elephant stuck in tree, beats gator while beating grass, lures bird into house) and gets his love charm. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 261 Lester: More Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 22 LibriVox 35 . Brother Rabbit Submits to a Test [ Brer Rabbit and the Witch-Rabbit Rabbit fears losing his powers, so he goes to Rabbit-Witch. She wants a squirrel; he tricks squirrel into getting into a bag with promise of nuts. She wants a rattlesnake; he gets snake to show its length and catches it. Witch declares him a fully-functioning danger and sends him home; Rabbit makes the rattlesnake into a stew. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 264 Lester: Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 145 LibriVox 36 . Brother Wolf Falls a Victim [ Brer Wolf and the Witch-Rabbit Rabbit says Witch is dead, so the animals go to divide her up, and Wolf argues with each one about how to share. Rabbit gives the whole thing to Wolf and then ties him on to the Witch's body; Witch jumps in river and drowns him. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 268 Lester: More Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 114 LibriVox 37 . Brother Rabbit and the Mosquitoes [ Brer Rabbit and the Mosquitoes Animals courting Wolf's daughter but can't stand mosquitoes; Rabbit tells story about spotted ancestor so he can kill mosquitoes as he points out the spots. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 272 Lester: Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 124 LibriVox 38 . The Pimmerly Plum [ The Pimmerly Plum Turtle tells Fox he ate plums and fools Fox into thinking sycamore is a plum tree. Tells Fox to wait with eyes closed and mouth open; he's still waiting. Turtle tells Rabbit how he tricked Fox. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 278 Lester: Further Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 29 LibriVox 39 . Brother Rabbit Gets the Provisions [ Rabbit, Wolf, and the Wagon of Food Rabbit and Wolf sell Wolf's mother for food. On their way home, Wolf is cold, so Rabbit sends him chasing the setting sun as if it were a fire. He then hides horses and puts the horses' tails sticking up in ground. Wolf comes back, and they pull on the tails to rescue wagon. Wolf thinks the wagon vanished into the ground. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 284 [not in Lester] LibriVox 40 . Cutta Cord-la [ Cutta Cord-la Rabbit and Wolf kill Wolf's granny for food. Rabbit then hides his granny up in a tree, teaching her a secret song. Blacksmith fixes Wolf's voice so he can fool Rabbit's granny but Rabbit comes and sings; she recognizes Wolf and drops him down. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 289 Lester: Last Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 115 LibriVox 41 . Aunt Tempy's Story [ Fox, Rabbit, and Their Families During famine, Fox and Rabbit decide to sell their families. As they ride in wagon, Rabbit throws his family members out and then accuses Fox of eating them. They sell Mrs. Fox to buy food. Fox goes for tobacco and Rabbit drives off; then he puts horse's tails in sand and calls it quicksand. Rabbit puts corn in holes where Fox digs, and Fox keeps digging so hard he dies. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 293 Lester: More Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 40 LibriVox 42 . The Fire-Test [ Who Ate the Little Rabbits? Wolf imitates Rabbit's voice to get in house and eat rabbits; Turtle presides over a fire test to find culprit. Other animals jump over; Wolf burns up. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 297 Lester: More Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 66 LibriVox 43 . The Cunning Snake [ The Snake Eggs Woman steals snake eggs. Fearing retribution, woman protects her child with a song but the snake learns to sing the song and swallows the child. The woman cuts the child out of snake to rescue her. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 302 Lester: Last Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 28 LibriVox 44 . How Brother Fox Was Too Smart [ Brer Fox and the Wildcat Fox and Rabbit see Wildcat tracks. Rabbit urges Fox to confront Wildcat, and Wildcat attacks Fox. Rabbit laughs. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 306 Lester: More Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 84 LibriVox 45 . Brother Wolf Gets in a Warm Place [ Brer Rabbit and His Steeple Rabbit builds tower. He then hauls Turtle up with rope, and next the Wolf; Rabbit's wife pours boiling water on Wolf suspended in midair. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 311 Lester: More Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 108 LibriVox 46 . Brother Wolf Still in Trouble [ Brer Wolf under a Rock Rabbit finds Wolf trapped under rock, releases him. Wolf is going to eat him. They go to Turtle as judge who tricks Wolf into getting back under rock. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 315 Lester: More Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 111 LibriVox 47 . Brother Rabbit Lays in His Beef Supply [ Fox, Rabbit, and the Supply of Beef Fox and Rabbit kill cow; in Fox's absence, Rabbit hides meat and says it was stolen. Fox figures it out, traps him in hollow tree, and sets Buzzard as guard. Rabbit tricks Buzzard and escapes. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 320 Lester: More Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 6 LibriVox 48 . Brother Rabbit and Mr. Wildcat [ Rabbit, Wildcat, and the Turkeys Wildcat catches Rabbit, who then leads Turkeys to Wildcat playing dead. The Turkeys keep away, and they are still gobbling about it to this day. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 324 Lester: More Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 92 LibriVox 49 . Mr. Benjamin Ram Defends Himself [ Benjamin Ram Confronts Fox and Wolf Fox and Wolf attack Ram; Ram thanks Fox for bringing Wolf because he is hungry for some Wolf meat. Fox and Wolf both run. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 328 Lester: Further Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 106 LibriVox 50 . Brother Rabbit Pretends to Be Poisoned [ Brer Rabbit Pretends to Be Poisoned Wolf and Rabbit go to share cow meat; Rabbit pretends to get sick. When Wolf goes for doctor, Rabbit takes all the meat and runs off. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 331 Lester: Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 115 LibriVox 51 . More Trouble for Brother Wolf [ Fire and Honey Wolf helped by Bear sets fire to log, but Rabbit escapes. Wolf is amazed; Rabbit says oozing honey saved him. Wolf wants honey too, so he gets in a log and Rabbit sets him on fire. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 335 Lester: Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 117 LibriVox 52 . Brother Rabbit Outdoes Mr. Man [ Rabbit and Mister Man's Money Rabbit rides in man's wagon with money. He throws the money out, and makes a noise so Man won't realize what is happening. Rabbit gets all the money. Man is furious. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 338 Lester: Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 104 LibriVox 53 . Brother Rabbit Takes a Walk [ Sewing Brer Dog's Mouth Rabbit and Dog are quarreling. Rabbit decides that toothed animals like Fox and Wolf and Dog should use their claws instead. Meanwhile, Rabbit proposes to sew Dog's mouth shut. Bear offers him needle and thread, but Rabbit says it's time for him to take a walk, shirking the task. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 341 Lester: More Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 94 LibriVox 54 . Old Grinny Granny Wolf [ Old Grinny Granny Wolf Grandmother Wolf thinks Rabbit is her grandson; he tricks her into getting into boiling water for her health. Then he dresses in her clothes. When Wolf comes home, he feeds him stew with grandmother in it. Wolf eats; his children refuse to eat and tell him why. Wolf chases Rabbit; Rabbit tricks Wolf into holding up a tree and so he gets away. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 343 Lester: More Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 64 LibriVox 55 . How Wattle Weasel Was Caught [ How Wattle Weasel Was Caught Weasel is suspected in butter theft. He fools guards: fools Mink by playing, Possum by tickling, Coon in race, Fox with chickens, Wolf with lamb, Bear with back rub. Rabbit proposes they tie tails to test their strength, and Rabbit wins by tying his tail to a tree root. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 347 Lester: More Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 70 LibriVox 56 . Brother Rabbit Ties Mr. Lion [ Brer Rabbit Ties Mr. Lion Rabbit tells Lion hurricane is coming, and then Rabbit tricks Lion into tying himself to a tree. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 351 Lester: Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 60 LibriVox 57 . Mr. Lion's Sad Predicament [ Brer Lion and the Man's Gun Rabbit warns Lion about man's gun, but Lion says he is only afraid of partridge. Lion gets shot by gun. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 355 Lester: More Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 96 LibriVox 58 . The Origin of the Ocean [ The Origin of the Ocean World was once all one land, no ocean; Lion stole Rabbit's prey, so Rabbit tricked Lion into jumping creek and then he "untied" creek which made the ocean. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 358 Lester: Last Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 13 LibriVox 59 . Brother Rabbit Gets Brother Fox's Dinner [ Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox on the Roof Rabbit helps Fox nailing roof; he nails Fox to roof and steals his food. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 361 Lester: More Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 3 LibriVox 60 . How the Bear Nursed the Little Alligator [ Brer Bear and the Little Gators Bear cub goes fishing and Gator carries him off. Bear cub then manages to eat all Gator babies, fooling Gator in count each day until they are all gone. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 365 Lester: Further Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 108 LibriVox 61 . Why Mr. Dog Runs Brother Rabbit [ Brer Rabbit Borrows Brer Dog's Shoes Rabbit tricks Dog into letting him try on Dog's shoes and he runs off with them; that's why dogs chase rabbits to this day. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 369 [not in Lester] LibriVox 62 . Brother Wolf and the Horned Cattle [ Brer Wolf and his Horns Wolf disguises himself with fake horns to attend meeting of horned animals; Rabbit is there too, and he detects and exposes Wolf. Later, Wolf plays dead to try to trick Rabbit, but Rabbit tricks Wolf into grinning. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 372 Lester: Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 122 LibriVox 63 . Brother Fox and the White Muscadines [ Brer Fox in the Fruit Tree Rabbit pretends to show Fox where to find white muscadine grapes. He takes him to a tree, and tells him to climb; the scaly bark nuts (hickory nuts) taste sour. Rabbit then says he will catch Fox when he jumps down, but Rabbit pretends to be stuck by thorn and Fox hits ground. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 375 Lester: Last Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 94 LibriVox 64 . Mr. Hawk and Brother Buzzard [ Brer Hawk and Brer Buzzard Buzzard thinks about building house when it rains, but does nothing when sun comes out. Hawk urges him to hunt chickens, but Buzzard waits. Hawk kills himself hunting; Buzzard eats him. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 378 Lester: Further Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 35 LibriVox 65 . Mr. Hawk and Brother Rabbit [ Brer Hawk and Brer Rabbit Hawk catches Rabbit: Rabbit escapes by promising to show Hawk buried gold OR by going into bushes to drive out partridges (two versions of story, one by Tildy and one by Remus). Chase: Complete Tales, p. 381 [not in Lester] LibriVox 66 . The Wise Bird and the Foolish Bird [ Wise Bird and Foolish Bird Wise Bird challenges Foolish Bird to no-eating no-drinking contest. Wise Bird has food, Foolish Bird doesn't, and he dies. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 384 Lester: Further Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 41 LibriVox 67 . Old Brother Terrapin Gets Some Fish [ Mink and Terrapin Go Diving Turtle challenges Mink to stay underwater; Turtle eats all the fish while Mink is underwater, and then accuses Mink of having eaten the fish. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 386 Lester: Further Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 112 LibriVox 68 . Brother Fox Makes a Narrow Escape [ Brer Rabbit Teaches Brer Fox a Trick Rabbit teaches Fox how to scare animals from waterhole with molasses-and-leaves monster disguise, but then molasses dissolves in water; animals punish Fox. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 389 Lester: Further Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 68 LibriVox 69 . Brother Fox's Fish-Trap [ Brer Fox's Fish-Trap Rabbit robs Fox's fish trap and is able to use his boat pole to escape, pushing off from Fox's own boat. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 391 [not in Lester] LibriVox 70 . Brother Rabbit Rescues Brother Terrapin [ Brer Rabbit Rescues Brer Terrapin Fox catches Turtle in a sack; Rabbit gets Fox to run off so he can free Turtle and put hornet nest in the stack instead. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 395 Lester: Tales of Uncle Remus, p. 110 LibriVox 71 . The Night Before Christmas [ The Night Before Christmas There is no story here; it is a song without an actual plot. Chase: Complete Tales, p. 402 [not in Lester] LibriVox
In this third and final installment of my Short Fiction Wrap-Up, 2020 Edition, I’ll be talking about three story collections for children, two of which I read aloud in their entirety to my ow…
Supporting Indigenous Resources for Inclusive Learning for Elementary school Students *** UPDATE: Scholastics has discontinued this series. Only purchase if you have access to these resources*** This no-prep learning resource uses comprehension strategy activities: Summary, Visualization, Connection, Compare and Contrast , Prediction and Infer to support all eight stories in the Tulugaq series. This resource can be used for: guided reading, literacy stations, small group learning, individual learning or whole class instruction. Included is a 12-page student activity booklet, answer key, and assessment rubric. This unit is suitable for grade 1 (with support) and grade 2, 3 ,4 and 5. With eight books/activities the unit could take between 2-3 weeks. __________________________________________________________________ This product is featured in my blog! To find out how I use this unit in my class, follow the link: https://www.infusingindigenouslit.com/post/and-along-came-trickster-tales __________________________________________________________________ This unit is based on the scholastic series graphic novel set, Trickster Tales: Tulugaq and other Inuit Tales, created by Chris Kientz and Angus Icewalker. The stories are not included in this unit but can be found on the Scholastic website. The Tulugaq Tales included in this unit are: Tulugaq and the First People Tulugaq and the Snowy Owl Tulugaq and the Colourful Dream Tulugaq and the Fox Tulugaq and the Snow Geese Tulugaq and the First Light The Hunter and the Promise Tulugaq and the Whale Other reading response units supporting the Scholastic Trickster Tale Series by Infusing Indigenous Literature are: Wesakechak Tales Glooscap Tales Tales From the Six Nations Iktomni Tales Chi-Jean and Other Metis Tales Raven Tales Nanabozho Tales This book and unit is featured in my blog: Infusing Indigenous Literature: Top 10 Inuit Traditional Tales Follow my blog, Infusing Indigenous Literature, to see how I integrate Indigenous literature in my curriculum throughout the year: www.infusingindigenouslit.com
Africa south of the Sahara is a land of wide-ranging traditions and varying cultures. Despite the diversity and the lack of early written records, the continent possesses a rich body of folk tales and legends that have been passed down through the strong custom of storytelling and which often share similar elements, ch
2. The Wonderful Tar-baby Story. Text Source: Uncle Remus, His Songs and His Sayings by Joel Chandler Harris. Online at Project Gutenberg. I have removed the frame material and standardized the spelling; click here for the original spelling plus all notes to the story. This story follows Uncle Remus Initiates the Little Boy as you'll see from the reference to the calamus root at the beginning and at the end of the story. BRER RABBIT and the TAR-BABY One day after Brer Rabbit fool him with that calamus root, Brer Fox went to work and got him some tar, and mix it with some turpentine, and fix up a contraption what he call a Tar-Baby, and he took this here Tar-Baby and he sat her in the big road, and then he lay off in the bushes for to see what the news was going to be. (image source; colorized) And he didn't have to wait long, neither, 'cause by and by here come Brer Rabbit pacing down the road — lippity-clippity, clippity-lippity — just as sassy as a jaybird. Brer Fox, he lay low. (image source) Brer Rabbit come prancing along till he spy the Tar-Baby, and then he fetch up on his behind legs like he was astonished. (image source) The Tar Baby, she sat there, she did, and Brer Fox, he lay low. (image source) "Mornin'!" says Brer Rabbit, says he — "Nice weather this mornin'," says he. Tar-Baby ain't saying' nothing, and Brer Fox he lay low. (image source) "How does yo' sym'toms seem to segashuate?" says Brer Rabbit, says he. Brer Fox, he wink his eye slow, and lay low, and the Tar-Baby, she ain't saying nothing. (image source) "How you come on, then? Is you deaf?" says Brer Rabbit, says he. "'Cause if you is, I can holler louder," says he. Tar-Baby stay still, and Brer Fox, he lay low. (image source) "You is stuck up, that's what you is," says Brer Rabbit, says he, "an' I'm goin' to cure you, that's what I'm a goin' to do," says he. Brer Fox, he sort of chuckle in his stomach, he did, but Tar-Baby ain't saying nothing. "I'm goin' to learn you how to talk to 'spectable folks if it's the las' act," says Brer Rabbit, says he. "If you don't take off that hat an' tell me howdy, I'm goin' to bus' you wide open," says he. Tar-Baby stay still, and Brer Fox, he lay low. Brer Rabbit keep on asking him, and the Tar-Baby, she keep on saying nothing, till presently Brer Rabbit draw back with his fist, he did, and blip he took her side of the head. Right there's where he broke his molasses jug. His fist stuck, and he can't pull loose. The tar hold him. But Tar-Baby, she stay still, and Brer Fox, he lay low. (image source) "If you don't let me loose, I'll knock you again," says Brer Rabbit, says he, and with that he fetch her a wipe with the other hand, and that stuck. Tar-Baby, she ain't saying nothing, and Brer Fox, he lay low. (image source) "Turn me loose, 'fore I kick the nat'ral stuffin' out of you," says Brer Rabbit, says he, but the Tar-Baby, she ain't saying nothing. She just hold on, and then Brer Rabbit lose the use of his feet in the same way. Brer Fox, he lay low. Den Brer Rabbit squall out that if the Tar-Baby don't turn him loose he butt her cranksided. And then he butted, and his head got stuck. Then Brer Fox, he sauntered forth, looking just as innocent as one of mammy's mocking-birds. (image source; colorized) "Howdy, Brer Rabbit," says Brer Fox, says he. "You look sort of stuck up this mornin'," says he, and then he rolled on the ground, an' laughed and laughed till he couldn't laugh no more. (image source) "I 'spect you'll take dinner with me this time, Brer Rabbit. I done laid in some calamus root, an' I ain't goin' to take no 'scuse," says Brer Fox, says he. (image source)
Storytellers, a rich collection of more than 250 authentic folktales, confirms the oral tradition of the South. Rising out of a shared rural past, the legends and myths, the jests and trickster tales presented here are as diverse and inventive as the tellers themselves. Edited and introduced by John A. Burrison and selected from more than twenty years of recorded interviews conducted in the lower Southeast by folklore students, Storytellers brings together for the first time in one book a broad variety of tales told in voices of African American, Anglo-Saxon, and Native American heritage. Describing the storytelling communities, the book re-creates the social settings--from a circle of tellers in a small town to three generations of a single family--where folktales circulate like living currency, changed and increased as they pass from person to person. The book visits individuals who give new voice to the oral tradition of their childhoods, telling again how the cricket trimmed the possum's tail, recasting an old tale of Master and John as \"John Meets Lester Maddox,\" and spinning outrageous tall tales from out of the still mysterious frontier of the Okefenokee Swamp. Ranging from \"vulga\" tales swapped by men and overheard by women to the adventures of Jack the Rogue, from the unbelievable stupidity of \"fool Irishmen\" to the horror of witches bounding through the darkened countryside, from instructive tales to illogical jests and puns, the oral record brought together in Storytellers speaks of the South--not one South but many, a region whose diversity is revealed and preserved in the telling of tales.
This download is a sample of what's in side my Trickster Tale Resource If you like what you see, I'd appreciate it if you could take a moment to leave some feedback. Also, if you'd like to be notified when I add new items to my store then please click on the "follow me" button. Thanks for stopping by, :0) Melissa
The story of the wooden puppet whose nose grows every time he tells a lie has captured hearts around the world. Readers of all ages will be enchanted by this new edition of the timeless tale of a mischievous marionette's struggles to behave himself in a world of temptation and adventure. Unlike his famous movie namesake, this Pinocchio is selfish and sometimes cruel — just like some real little boys. As soon as he can walk, he runs away, escaping into a series of darkly humorous episodes that range from getting conned by a pair of tricksters to being turned into a donkey and getting swallowed by an enormous fish. Populated by a host of memorable characters and briskly propelled by the captivating logic of a dream, this remarkable fantasy from the nineteenth century remains as fresh and inventive as if it had been written yesterday. bedtime story; beloved characters; best loved children's stories; children's classics; easy to read; fables; fairytale fantasy; folklore; juvenile fiction; kid fiction; kids literature; magical; children's fantasy; nostalgic
FANTASTICAL TALES Perilous quests, true love, and animals that talk: The traditional stories of Ireland, Scotland, Brittany, and Wales transport us to the fantastical world of Celtic fairy tales and folklore. This Celtic fairy tales and folklore book features 16 stories that were translated and transcribed by folklorists in the late 19th and 20th centuries that focus on themes such as Tricksters, The Sea, Quests, Romance and Mythological Creatures. These timeless tales brim with wit and magic, and each one is brought to life with elegant silhouette art by Kate Forrester in this special illustrated edition sure to impress any true fan of cultural and mythological literature. Celtic Tales is an extraordinary collection that conjures forgotten realms and rare magical creatures in vivid prose. Discover delightfully entertaining tales such as Master and Man, The Soul Cages, The Red-Etin, and The Witch of Lok Island. DETAILS Celtic Tales: Fairy Tales and Stories of Enchantment Illustrated and retold by Kate Forester. Published by Chronicle Books, August 30, 2016. Ages 12+ years independent reader or selective read aloud to younger 0.9" H x 9.1" L x 7.7" W (1.65 lbs) 176 pages Hardcover
Supporting Indigenous Resources for Inclusive Learning for Elementary School Students __________________________________________________________________ This product is featured in my blog! To find out how I use this unit in my class, follow the link: https://www.infusingindigenouslit.com/post/and-along-came-trickster-tales __________________________________________________________________ *** UPDATE: Scholastics has discontinued this series. Only purchase if you have access to these resources*** This BUNDLE of learning resource is based on the Scholastic Trickster Tales graphic novel series. Trickster Tales, created by Chris Kientz and different lead author for each set, is based on 64 Traditional Stories From First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Peoples of Canada. These tales are perfect for integrating reading strategies and Indigenous literature with a whole class using one read aloud book or in smaller literacy groups. These units can be printed out in its entirety as a student response booklet to be used in reading groups, literature centres, or a whole class study. Or, individual lesson response pages can be printed separately to support a particular reading strategy or tale. Each unit is suitable for grade 2, 3, 4 and 5 and would take roughly 3 weeks to complete. Reading strategies used in this unit to explore the tales are: Summary, Connection, Visualization, Compare and Contrast, Problem / Solution, Story Adaptions, Question and Infer. All units include: a student response booklet, answer key, and assessment rubric. With this Trickster Tale MEGA BUNDLE, your class will be set for the entire year learning and exploring Traditional Tales from the West Coast, Plains, Great Lakes, East Coast, and the North. This MEGA BUNDLE includes the following units: Wesakechak Tales Glooscap Tales Tales From the Six Nations Iktomni Tales Tulugaq and Other Inuit Tales Chi-Jean and Other Metis Tales Raven Tales Nanabozho Tales Follow my blog, Infusing Indigenous Literature, to see how I integrate Indigenous literature in my curriculum throughout the year: www.infusingindigenouslit.com
Compare and contrast these trickster tales from around the world: US, Brazil, Indonesia, China, Western Europe, and Western Africa. So many cunning animals!
\"One can never have too many friends.\"Quackling was proud when the King came to him to borrow money. But years passed, and the King never paid him back! So, he took his sack and started for the castle. But a very small duck will need very good friends when he gets there!Will Quackling get what he wants, or something even better? Find out in this lively, rhythmic retelling of a favorite European folk tale.TEACHERS AND LIBRARIANS -- A READER'S THEATER SCRIPT OF THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE ON AARON'S WEB SITE./////////////////////////////////////////////////Aaron Shepard is the award-winning author of \"The Baker's Dozen,\" \"The Legend of Lightning Larry,\" \"The Sea King's Daughter,\" and many more children's books. Once a professional storyteller, Aaron specializes in lively retellings of folktales and other traditional literature, which have won him honors from the American Library Association, the New York Public Library, the Bank Street College of Education, the National Council for the Social Studies, and the American Folklore Society.Wendy Edelson is the award-winning illustrator of \"The Baker's Dozen,\" \"Christmas Truce,\" and many more children's books. She has applied her talent to a wide range of illustration projects, including picture books, pet portraits, posters, and puzzles. Among her clients have been Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo, the Seattle Aquarium, Pacific Northwest Ballet, the U.S. Postal Service, Cricket Magazine, McGraw-Hill Education, and the American Library Association. /////////////////////////////////////////////////\"[A] lively folktale retelling . . . Edelson enhances the allegorical tale, about goodness and honoring commitments, with striking renderings of anthropomorphic animals.\" -- Publishers Weekly, July 30, 2018\"An enchanting fairytale that is easy to read and follow along, keeping youngsters excited and involved in the action.\" -- Kimberly Poe, Goodreads reviewer, November 18, 2018\"Not just for kids, grown-up youngsters will love it, as well. Beautiful art, beautifully done re-telling -- LOVED IT!\" -- RaChelle Holmberg, Goodreads reviewer, January 24, 2022\"It's the cute-enough-to-go-into-a-coma artwork by Wendy Edelson coupled with Brothers Grimm that hooked me. Very short read with easy sentences and rhymes. Adorable.\" -- Korrin Kearney, Goodreads reviewer, March 1, 2022\"The illustrations are gorgeous and filled with detail. Those alone make this book worth a read. I also enjoyed the lesser known (where I live) fairy tale . . . A good choice to read to children of all ages.\" -- Morris Morgan, Goodreads reviewer, March 7, 2022\"A great book to teach children the elements of fairytale. It is interesting, repetitive, funny, and based on a European folktale. As a grade 3 teacher, I would definitely purchase this book for my classroom library.\" -- Angie Kuhnle, teacher, March 13, 2022\"A darling retelling of a classic fairytale with so many great qualities. The rhythm, sets of threes, illustrations, and page design all come together to create a wonderful read-aloud.\" -- Callie Anna Oxner, Goodreads reviewer, March 21, 2022\"Filled with surprises and delights . . . Bright and colorful in every way.\" -- Linda Gill, The Reader and the Book (blog), March 24, 2022\"A simple but absolutely delightful story, this one is one of my favorites of this year.\" -- Michelle Kalm, Goodreads reviewer, March 30, 2022\"Children will be delighted to take part in the storytelling and thrilled with the satisfying conclusion . . . Illustrator Wendy Edelson has created masterful renderings of the action. The highly detailed art bursts with color and action and will draw youngsters into its pages.\"-- Jill Stanish, Live to Read to Live (blog), April 20, 2022
Many, many cultures have traditional tales that involve a trickster main character. Earlier I wrote a series of two posts about Anansi, a tricky spider from west Africa: Anansi tales retold by Eric Kimmel and Even More Anansi Trickster Tales. Gerald McDermott is another wonderful picture book author-illustrator who has written a series of stories focusing on different trickster characters from around the world. This post provides a quick overview of these different books and creative tricksters. African Trickster Tales Zomo the Rabbit: a trickster tale from West Africa (also available in Spanish). Zomo faces an impossible task but is able to use his tricks to meet each one, until he realizes that the joke might be on him! (Based on a Nigerian folktale.) Anansi the Spider: a tale from the Ashanti (a Caldecott Honor book). This Anansi story includes an informative prologue about Ghana, the Ashanti people, and Anansi's role as a folk-hero and trickster.In this story, Anansi gets into trouble and is saved by the cooperation of his variously-talented spider sons. When he tries to give them a gift in thanks, he cannot decide which son deserves it, so his bright shining gift becomes the moon up in the sky. Asian Trickster Tales Monkey: a trickster tale from India. Monkey twice manages to outwit Crocodile who is waiting in the water to eat him. A sort-of pourquoi tale about why the crocodile lays low in the water. (The story is attributed to the Jataka tales from 3rd-4th century BC India and translated into English from Sanskrit in 1895.) North American Trickster Tales Coyote: a trickster tale from the American Southwest. Coyote is a common trickster among many North American tribes, but this version of the tale come from the Zuni of the American Southwest. In this particular tale, Coyote is quite hapless and is himself tricked by a group of crows who decide to have a little fun with him. This story also answers the question of why coyotes follow their nose and are grey with black tips for their noses. Raven: a trickster tale from the Pacific Northwest (a Caldecott Honor book). Raven is a skilled trickster in Pacific Northwest traditional tales, but this particular tale is not attributed to an individual tribe. In this story, Raven must trick the Sky Chief himself in order to bring light and the sun to humanity. Pig-Boy: a trickster tale from Hawai'i. Pig-Boy is based on the shape-shifting Hawaiian trickster, Kamapua-a. Hungry pig-boy becomes a variety of other creatures in his attempts to evade the angry king and even spends some time as a humu-humu-nuku-nuku-apua'a fish. (Sorry, just had to include that one in there!) South American Trickster Tales Jabuti the Tortoise: a trickster tale from the Amazon. This Jabuti tale references several others tricked by Jabuti, but in this story, Jabuti himself is tricked by Vulture who is jealous of his song and colors. This pourquoi tale explains why the tortoise's shell looks cracked and why Vulture is black when other birds are colorful. This Jabuti tale comes from the Tupi-Guarani tribe of the rain forests of Brazil. Papago: the Mischief Maker. Papagayo is a bit of a bully and annoyance to the other creatures of the Amazon rain forest, especially to those who preferred to sleep during the day. But when the fearsome moon-dog starts eating away at the moon, it is Papagayo who convinces the nocturnal animals to scare him away. (No specific attribution.) Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday Challenge is hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy and is a weekly roundup of educator blogs that are sharing nonfiction picture books. Click the link to check out other nonfiction posts.
Shapeshifting is a common theme in mythology and folklore. Many legendary creatures have this ability, which is represented in a full-body transformation. It enables the creature to trick, deceive, hunt, and kill humans. Throughout history, many murder sprees have been attributed to the presence of these beings. As Halloween is just around the corner, this
This post is part of a series of posts celebrating the countries and cultures of Latin America. The first post featured creation stories from Latin America. This post will focus on clever folk heros and trickster tales. The final post features tall tales. Señor Cat's Romance and Other Favorite Stories from Latin America (1997) retold by Lucia M. González and illustrated by Lulu Delacre. This collection features six short tales collected from across Latin America. Several feature folk heroes featured in other books in this post, including Juan Bobo, a trickster rabbit, and Martina the Beautiful Cockroach. (Read this post for reviews of other books featuring the Puerto Rican folk hero Juan Bobo.) Martina the Beautiful Cockroach: a Cuban folktale (2007) retold by Carmen Agra Deedy and illustrated by Michael Austin. (A Pura Belpré Honor Book.) In this version of the story, Martina must decide who to marry and agrees to follow the unusual advice of her Abuela - to see how each suitor reacts when coffee is spilled on him! This humorous tale provides great advice for looking beyond appearances and determining someone's inner character. Just a Minute: a trickster tale and counting book (2003) by Yuyi Morales (a Pura Belpré Award winner). In this inventive trickster tale, Grandma Beetle is surprised to find the skeleton Señor Calavera beckoning her to follow. Imposing on his politeness, Grandma Beetle continues with an escalating list of tasks (with numbers in both English and Spanish). Kids will delight in this outrageous outsmarting of Death. Juan Bobo is a popular trickster from Puerto Rico and one I have shared about many times before. There are many picture books written about him, and you can read more about all of them at this post: Meet Juan Bobo! Love and Roast Chicken: a trickster tale from the Andes Mountains retold by Barbara Knutson (also available in Spanish as Amor Y Pollo Asado). Poor cuy (guinea pig) is such a small, defenseless creature, that he must rely on his wits when he is threatened by Tio Antonio, the fox. His clever solutions to difficult situations will keep kids laughing and impressed by his creativity. Borreguita and the Coyote by Verna Aardema and illustrated by Petra Mathers. Based on a Mexican folktale poor Borreguita must find a way to outwit the wily coyote! Jabuti the Tortoise: a trickster tale from the Amazon by Gerald McDermott. This Jabuti tale references several others tricked by Jabuti, but in this story, Jabuti himself is tricked by Vulture who is jealous of his song and colors. This pourquoi tale explains why the tortoise's shell looks cracked and why Vulture is black when other birds are colorful. This Jabuti tale comes from the Tupi-Guarani tribe of the rain forests of Brazil. Papago: the Mischief Maker by Gerald McDermott. Papagayo is a bit of a bully and annoyance to the other creatures of the Amazon rain forest, especially to those who preferred to sleep during the day. But when the fearsome moon-dog starts eating away at the moon, it is Papagayo who convinces the nocturnal animals to scare him away. (No specific cultural attribution.) Share your favorite trickster tales in the comments!
There is perhaps no figure in literature more fascinating than the trickster, appearing in various forms in the folklore of many cultures. He is different from the figure of the fool, who is harmless but also naïve, and many times ends up harming himself. The fool walks joyfully dreaming about all his adventures, unaware thatContinue reading "The Psychology of The Trickster"
They're tricky and they're selfish but then they get their comeuppance in the end, hooray! You and your kids are sure to enjoy the antics in these trickster tales for children ages 0-9.
