Horn Book (Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 CST 1993)

A strong collection of tales from all populations of the United States--Native American, African American, Anglo American, Eskimo, and Hawaiian--that feature female counterparts of tall-tale heroes. Pinkney's illustrations underscore the strength of the heroines. All of the tales are thoroughly documented. Bib.

Kirkus Reviews

A frequent author retells old stories and, in effect, fashions new ones to fill a void that—he says in his preface—he deplores. Arranged geographically from northeast to west (including Alaska and Hawaii), these 15 tales of clever, strong- willed, or larger-than-life women represent several cultures- -Anglo-, Native-, African-, and Mexican-American. Introductory remarks discuss locale or culture or note parallels in world folklore. The results are entertaining and often tellable. Yet San Souci alters stories to suit his purpose: e.g., the woman he calls Old Sally Cato'' is unnamed in his Missouri source, while the male giant she kills wasBally Sally Cato''; even the African-American connection seems tenuous. Compared to one cited source, Annie Christmas'' is cleaned up almost beyond recognition. Neither is the subtitle quite accurate: two protagonists are sisters under the fur. And while the animal tales enhance ethnicity (Sister Fox...'' is the only Mexican American tale), they have a mean-spirited tone not found in the others. Detailed notes give clues to how much San Souci has embellished, rather than ``collected,'' here; Pinkney's handsome b&w scratchboard illustrations and a spacious layout give the book a distinguished look. As they stand, the stories are useful; but it would be more honest to explain the rationale for the substantial revisions. Brief introduction by Jane Yolen; map; bibliography. (Folklore. 8+)"

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Stories culled from the melting pot of American culture (Hawaiian, Eskimo and Native American, among others) unite a league of female folk heroes as courageous, irascible and noble as any of their more famous male counterparts,"""" said PW. """"Scratchboard illustrations accentuate the tales' preposterous humor."""" Ages 8-12. (Feb.)

School Library Journal

Gr 3-8-- In many ways, this volume continues the work of Ethel Johnston Phelps's Tatterhood and Other Tales (Feminist Pr, 1978) as it offers authentic folk and fairy tales about heroines. Here, however, San Souci confines himself to North America and organizes his selections by region, moving from east to west. The women come from the Native American, African American, Mexican American, and Canadian traditions. Although they differ in many ways from their male counterparts, there are still tricksters, sweet talkers, and brave and strong protagonists like those found in hero stories. There has been some retelling, some modifications of dialects, some reshaping of open endings, but the plots have not been tampered with. Each story is illustrated with an engraving of some sort, with black background and white lines that give the pictures an antique quality like a woodcut or copper engraving. Notes on the stories and an extensive list of further reading are appended. An impressive and gratifying collection that's a cut above other such compilations. --Ruth K. MacDonald, Quinnipiac College, Hamden, CT