Copyright Date:
2014
Edition Date:
2014
Release Date:
07/15/13
Illustrator:
Yeomans, Jess,
Pages:
31 pages
ISBN:
1-608-70439-4
ISBN 13:
978-1-608-70439-2
Dewey:
398.2
LCCN:
2012010545
Dimensions:
24 cm.
Language:
English
Reviews:
School Library Journal
(Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 CST 2014)
SCHOMP, Virginia , retel. Hiawatha and the Great Peace . ISBN 9781608704408 . LC 201105067. SCHOMP, Virginia , retel. Pecos Bill and the Slue-Foot Sue . ISBN 9781608704446 . LC 2010023594. ea vol: illus. by Jess Yeomans. 30p. (American Legends and Folktales). further reading. glossary. websites. Cavendish Square . 2013. Tr. $28.50. ebook available. K-Gr 3- Brer Rabbit introduces the trickster rabbit who outwits larger creatures for his own gain. Told with sassy delivery, this tale moves away from the Uncle Remus dialect but includes enough Southern expressions to add punch-"nabbing up my goobers," "lively as a June cricket." Pecos Bill is told in the same tone, with the cowboy vernacular and the tall-tale exaggeration expected in this larger-than-life tale. The title is a bit misleading as Slue-Foot-Sue appears briefly at the end of the story and is just as quickly gone. Both books include a brief history of the story and notes about the sources. Hiawatha takes a much different tone as befits a more serious topic. Hiawatha is portrayed as a troubled tribesman who longs for his fellow Iroquois to live in peace. His bravery and leadership are indisputable, as is his desire to end war. More somber moments include the loss of his entire family and his grief that lasts until his meeting with the Peacemaker and their successful plan for peace. While these stories hold some appeal, the illustrations are amateurish and unappealing, and some of them border on frightening with images of snakes in the hair of a rival chief and of Pecos Bill's son eagerly grasping a snake as a toy. Marginal purchases. Carol Connor, Cincinnati Public Schools, OH
Bibliography Index/Note:
Includes bibliographical references (pages 29-30).
The story of Brer Rabbit has origins in several world cultures and tells a common tale of a trickster who succeeds by his wits rather than by brawn. This cunning creature steals peanuts from Brer Fox's garden patch, then blames Brer Bear for the mess. This well known tale has inspired movies and literary compositions. This lively book contains original artwork, historical context of the story, recounts folktales from diverse cultures and defines words unique to this fascinating tale.