Tuesday, February 24, 2009

17. The Little Red Hen


Title: Pinkney, Jerry. The Little Red Hen. New York: Penguin Group, c2006. (n.b. there are many other versions of the story I consulted; this one is listed for convenience and because it has beautiful illustrations.)
Summary: A hard-working little red hen finds some wheat seeds. She asks her animal neighbors for help in planting, but each one refuses in turn, saying “Not I.” When the wheat ripens, she asks for help in cutting it down, but again the animals decline. When she needs help threshing the wheat, her neighbor animals again say no. When the wheat needs to be taken to the mill to be ground into flour, the animals still refuse to help. When it’s time to make the flour into bread and the hen asks for help, the animals again chorus “Not I”. But, when the bread is baked, fragrant and golden, and the Little Red Hen asks who will eat it, all the animals eagerly chime in “I will!” Finally, the Little Red Hen puts her foot (claw?) down, and eats the bread all by herself as a reward for all her hard work.
Cultural origins and how identified: This is somewhat problematic. Pinkney's version says the tale is English (from the book's colophon). Another version by Florence White Williams states that the tale is of English origin. An article in Wikipedia claims the story is of Russian origin, but offers no evidence to back this up.
Audience: I would tell this story to anyone from preschoolers on up. I practiced on some 60 and 70 year olds and they loved it. Any setting would be appropriate; library, classroom or performance space.
Notes on adaptation for telling: Even though I love the original “Not I” response from the animals, I think it needs updating for contemporary audiences. So I will let each animal respond in its own way, according to its personality. I think this story could have been a great Looney Tunes cartoon and I’m hoping to channel some of that anarchic humor into my telling.
Note on cover image: This image does not come from the Pinkney book. I found it through Google images at http://www.itheatre.org/Redhen08.html I chose it for its cartoonish quality.

16. The Mitten

Title: Brett, Jan. The mitten: a Ukrainian folktale, adapted and illustrated by Jan Brett. Lancaster, PA: Childcraft Education Corp., c1989.
Summary: The story is set in wintertime. A young boy’s grandmother balks at knitting white woolen mittens, fearing that the boy will lose them in the snow and never find them again. He’s insistent, though, and finally she knits his new mittens of wool as white as snow. Sure enough, on his very first outing with the new mittens, he drops one in the snow. One by one, a cast of curious animals burrow into the mitten to stay warm. A mole, then a hare, then a hedgehog, an owl, a badger, a fox, and finally a great, brown bear all squeeze into the lost mitten to stay warm. Last to wedge itself into the mitten is a tiny field mouse, which perches atop the great bear’s nose. The mouse’s paws tickle the bear’s nose, who gives a tremendous sneeze, causing the
animals to be blown out of the mitten and scattered higgledy-piggledy in the snow. The now hugely stretched-out mitten shoots up into the air, where the boy sees it silhouetted against the blue sky. He grabs it and returns home to his grandmother, bearing both white mittens, although one is mysteriously much larger than the other.
Cultural origins and how identified: The tale is Ukrainian, based on Brett's title information. Another version by Alvin Tresselt also cites the tale as Ukrainian.
Audience: I would tell this to children ages 3 and up, and their families, in either library or school environments.
Notes on adaptation for telling: I adapted the story by adding a repetitive animal chorus as each new animal tries to squeeze into the mitten: “There’s no ROOM in here!” I’ve done this
with my preschoolers and they love to chime in and help tell the story. Another way to enhance the story is to use a mitten into which little animal finger puppets can "crawl"; this is also fun for younger children.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

15. Three Strong Women: A Tall Tale from Japan


Title: Stamm, Claus. Three Strong Women: A Tall Tale from Japan. New York: Viking, c1962.
Summary: Forever-Mountain is a conceited wrestler on his way to the Emperor's championships. On the road, he sees Maru-me, a little round girl carrying a water bucket on her head. He decides to tickle her in the hope that he can carry the bucket home for her, but she catches his hand under her arm. No matter what he does, he can't get it out, and is dragged along behind her. He pleads for escape, but Maru-me says she wants to help him become truly strong. After all, if he can't escape from her, how strong can he be? Fearful of being a laughingstock among the other wrestlers, he agrees to live with her, her mother and her grandmother for 3 months, and let them train him. Each day he must wrestle with Grandmother for practice; when he and she stomp their feet, the villagers think it's thunder. When he reaches the Emperor's palace, Forever-Mountain terrifies all his opponents just by stomping his foot, and then simply carries each one out of the ring, where they cry like "fat babies". The tournament ends quickly, which pleases the peace-loving Emperor, who prefers to write poetry. The Emperor gives Forever-Mountain the prize money, but makes him promise never to wrestle again. He agrees, and returns to Maru-me, where he and she live happily as farmers. To this day, when villagers hear thunder, they say it is Forever-Mountain and Maru-me's Grandmother wrestling!
Cultural origins and how identified: The tale comes from Japan according to the book's colophon: "Folklore-Japan". No other information provided other than in the title.
Audience: This story is for children grades K-3 [ages 5-9] according to School Library Journal review; I think it would make a good family story time tale as well. This would be a fun tale to work into a classroom study unit on Japan, though it would work for a library program as well, especially one that included a little bit of cultural information.
Notes on adaptation for telling: I would definitely include some sound effects for Forever-Mountain and Grandmother's stomping feet, and would ask for audience participation.

14. The Legend of the Two Moons


Title: Mora, Francisco X. The Legend of the Two Moons. Fort Atkinson, WI: Highsmith Press, c 1992.
Summary: Chucho the dog is looking for a place to sleep, because his family's fiesta is too noisy. He goes into the forest, where he hears a deep voice coming out of a tree. When he tells the voice that he is only looking for a place to sleep, Perico the parrot flies down and offers him a spot in the tree. Chucho makes his bed in the highest branches, where he notices that there are 2 moons in the sky. Perico is surprised too, and wants to get one of the moons for himself. Chucho says he should not take the moon, but Perico flies off, and pulls a moon out of the sky. It's too heavy for him though, and he drops it in the water. Chucho runs to the water to find the parrot crying over his lost moon. He scolds Perico for being greedy. But when the water calms, they see that there are still 2 moons; one in the sky and one in the water.
Cultural origins and how identified: The tale comes from Mexico. From the book's colophon: "Francisco Mora is an artist who creates whimsical fantasies using folktales to teach about real life. He is heavily influenced by his dreams and memories of his Mexican heritage."
Audience: The Amazon.com website says ages 4-8. I agree with this assessment, and think the tale would be good for library or classroom audiences. This would make a good addition to the study of world origin myths for older kids.
Notes on adaptation for telling: The story is sprinkled with a lot of Spanish words (though there is a glossary), so some practice would be needed for non-Spanish speakers (like me). I would preface the tale by talking with the kids about the moon and asking them: "Did you know that there were once 2 moons? What do you think happened to the other one?" I think this could add a bit to the mysterious quality of the tale.
Cover image note: I could not find an image of the actual book, though I did find many of Mora's other books. The image I selected simply shows 2 moons.

13. The Woman Who Outshone the Sun


Title: Cruz, Alejandro. The Woman Who Outshone the Sun: the Legend of Lucia Zenteno, from a poem by Alejandro Cruz Martinez. San Francisco, CA: Children's Book Press, c 1991.
Summary: One day, the beautiful Lucia arrives in the village, trailing butterflies and flowers, and accompanied by a loyal iguana. Her beauty was so great that some people said she outshone the sun, while her long black hair seemed to block it out. When Lucia bathed in the river, the river and the fishes loved her and flowed through her hair. When she was done bathing, Lucia would comb her hair out and the water and fishes would return to the river. The village elders said that the people would always honor Lucia, even though she was different. But the people ignored the elders, and were mean to her. Lucia kept her dignity, which only angered the villagers more, so much so that they drove her away. Lucia went to say goodbye to the river, which flowed through her hair and refused to leave her! When she left, only a dry riverbed remained. When the villagers saw the water, fish and animals leaving, they despaired. They and their animals began to thirst. After much urging from the elders, the people agreed to find Lucia and apologize. They found her and begged for mercy. Lucia was compassionate and agreed to ask the river to return to them, but said that just as the river gives water to all, the villagers must be kind to everyone, even those who seemed different. She combed out her hair; the river and water animals returned and the village rejoiced. In all the celebrating, no one noticed when Lucia disappeared. The elders said that she would always be there in spirit to guide them and keep understanding and love in their hearts.
Cultural origins and how identified: This is quoted from the book's afterword: "The legend of Lucia Zenteno is part of the oral history of the Zapotec Indians of Oaxaca, Mexico." The Zapotec poet Alejandro Cruz Martinez collected many of his people's stories and published his own version of this tale as a poem in 1986."
Audience: This story is for grades K-3 [ages 5-9] according to School Library Journal review. I agree with this assessment. This would be a great story to use to teach about tolerance of differences in a classroom (or library) setting.
Notes on adaptation for telling: This is a bilingual tale, so ideally it should be told by someone who speaks both Spanish and English. Failing that, I'd tell the English version and find a Spanish-speaking storyteller to tell the tale. It might be fun to alternate "episodes" of the tale, if that wouldn't be too confusing. It's a beautiful story, with a saintly heroine, so I'd tell it reverently.

12. Zorro and Quwi: Tales of a Trickster Guinea Pig


Title: Hickox, Rebecca. Zorro and Quwi: Tales of a Trickster Guinea Pig. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell, c1997.
Summary: Zorro the fox hunts for Quwi the guinea pig every night in the Peruvian mountains. One night, Quwi sneaks into a garden to hide from Zorro and eats flowers all night long. The next morning, the angry gardener traps Quwi. Zorro finds Quwi in the trap and prepares to eat him. Crafty Quwi tells him that the gardener is forcing him to marry his daughter and live in a mansion; this might sound good, but his future bride is much bigger than he is, and is sure to step on him and crush him. Zorro offers to take Quwi's place in the trap, so that he can live the good life. When the gardener finds him, he beats Zorro with a stick until Zorro manages to escape. Then Zorro finds Quwi pushing against a large rock and again prepares to eat him. Sneaky Quwi tells him the rock was rolling down the hill to crush the village below; if Zorro helps him hold it up, they'll both be heroes. Zorro pushes for a long time but at last, he realizes he's been tricked again. The next morning, Zorro surprises Quwi in the field and once more threatens to eat him. Quwi tells him to go ahead; they'll all be dead soon anyway, because a rain of fire is coming. The panicked Zorro agrees to Quwi's plan to hide in a hole, but once he crawls in, the guinea pig piles thorny bushes over it, saying that they're clouds. He shoves the thorns further into the hole, poking Zorro, and tells him the rain of fire is starting. Zorro falls asleep, and awakes the next day to find nothing has happened. Enraged, Zorro hunts Quwi all day without success. That night, the guinea pig comes to Zorro's den, giving him some cornmeal mush to eat, and apologizing for his trickery. Zorro eats it, but still wants to eat Quwi. Instead, Quwi offers to show Zorro where to find more cornmeal. They creep into a house, and Zorro eats the meal out of a clay pot, but gets his head stuck inside. Quwi promises to give Zorro a rock to break the pot with, but instead leads Zorro to the sleeping home owner's bald head. When Zorro grabs his head, the man startles and wakes! Zorro falls over, breaks the jar, sees the man get his gun, and runs away to the edge of the forest, swearing off guinea pigs!
Cultural origins and how identified: In the afterword, Hickox writes that this story is based a series of tales about "The Mouse and the Fox" from Folktales Told Around the World (University of Chicago Press, 1975). In that book, the stories were told to Jean MacLaughlin by an unnamed 13 year old Peruvian boy. Hickox rewrote 4 of the tales, substituting a guinea pig for the original character of the mouse. She writes that in Peru, Quwi (the Quechua word for guinea pig; cuy in Spanish) is the hero of many trickster tales. The author raised guinea pigs as a child and now has a daughter who does the same, so she decided to make her hero a guinea pig!
Audience: According to School Library Journal, this tale is for K-Grade 3 [ages 5-9]. I agree, but I'd tell this to older audiences too, since I think there's a universal appreciation for trickster tales. This tale would be a lot of fun at a library story time, and could work in the classroom as well.
Notes on adaptation for telling: I'm not sure how to pronounce "Quwi", so I might tweak his name into "Kiwi" instead. This is a fun story and I'd tell it in a lively manner, with "And then...what do you THINK?!" to introduce each new episode of Zorro's humiliation!

11. Ashpet


Title: Compton, Joanne. Ashpet: An Appalachian Tale. New York, Holiday House, 1994.
Summary: A servant girl named Ashpet is indentured to the Widow Hooper and her 2 mean daughters, Myrtle and Ethel. As in all Cinderella tales, Ashpet toils from dawn till dusk, cleaning, cooking, washing, chopping wood, etc. while the lazy (and of course ugly) sisters lay about. Whenever anyone visits the Hooper cabin, Ashpet is concealed beneath a washtub because the sisters are jealous of her beauty. The action begins when the big summer church revival approaches, and in the bustle of preparations, Ashpet inadvertently lets the fire go out. The next day, Myrtle is sent to get fire from Granny since Ashpet is too busy working. Myrtle hollered outside Granny's cabin, but refused to go in and brush her hair, so Granny wouldn't give her the fire. Then Ethel was sent out, with the same results. Finally Widow Hooper sent Ashpet, and she was polite and brushed Granny's hair. When Granny asked if Ashpet was going to the church meeting, Ashpet said she'd probably be too busy working. Soon after, the Hoopers left for the revival. Granny appeared at the cabin, rapped 3 times on the floor, and magically the cabin was sparkling clean. And, there was a new dress and shoes for Ashpet! After being warned by Granny to be home before midnight, Ashpet went off to the meeting and attracted the attention of the Doc Ellison's son. When the Hoopers offered to share their picnic lunch with him, he took it and went to sit with Ashpet, mortifying the Hoopers, who stomped off home. As Ashpet and the doctor's son walked home, she realized how late it was becoming, and kicked off her shoe to distract him, then ran home. The next day, the doctor's son came to the Hooper cabin. Ashpet was stuffed under the washtub. The doctor's son appeared with the missing shoe, tried it on the sisters, who of course couldn't fit into it. As the doctor's son prepared to leave, he tripped over the washtub, revealing Ashpet. She tried on the shoe, which of course fit perfectly. The doctor's son then paid off Ashpet's remaining years of servitude, and they went off together --"happy as could be".
Cultural origins and how identified: In the author's note, Compton states that the Cinderella story is very old, with the earliest recorded version being "Yeh-shien" from China in 850 A.D. Hundreds of Cinderella stories have been collected since then. The Grimm Brothers recorded "Aschenputtel" in 1812, and European immigrants might have brought a similar version to the Southern Appalachian region of America, where eventually it morphed into "Ashpet". This version was published in 1948 by Richard Chase in Grandfather Tales. Compton has further adapted the tale to make the prince a more likely mountain character--a doctor's son.
Audience: School Library Journal states that this is appropriate for Grades 1-3 [ages 6-9] according to its review. I think this would make a good family storytime at the library or at a school reading night, since everyone is so familiar with the Cinderella tale. It could also work as part of a study unit on Appalachia.
Notes on adaptation for telling: I'd give the doctor's son a name of his own, which he lacks in this version, and might wear a little creative costume--a bonnet or some such--to reflect the homespun atmosphere of the tale. The story would make more sense if the audience had some understanding of Appalachian traditions and lifestyle; another reason to tell it to older listeners.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

10. Spider and the Sky God: An Akan Legend


Title: Chocolate, Deborah M. Newton. Spider and the Sky God: An Akan Legend. Legends of the World series. No Location: Troll Associates, 1993.
Summary: Ananse the Spider spins beautiful webs, but his dearest wish is to spin beautiful tales. Knowing that all stories belong to the Sky God, Ananse strikes a bargain with Him. Sky God demands 4 things: Onini the Python, Mmoboro the Hornet, Osebo the Leopard and Mmoatia the Fairy. One by one, by asking the advice of his wise wife Aso, Ananse tricks each creature and traps it. He gathers all four creatures in a giant web and takes it to the Sky God, who blesses Ananse and gives him his stories, renaming them Spider Stories. Then Ananse travels from town to town, spinning his tales for all to enjoy.
Cultural origins and how identified: From cataloging information in the book's colophon: "Folklore-Ghana". From the book's afterword: "Ananse the Spider is the hero of stories told by the Akan people of West Africa. The Akan include several tribes in the southwest part of the country of Ghana."
Audience: The Amazon.com website says the story is appropriate for ages 9-12, while the Paperback Swap website says it's for ages 4-8. I think the story would work for both older and younger kids. It would make a fun library storytime and also work in the classroom. I love Ananse stories; he's crafty and greedy, but likeable. In this version, he needs the good advice of his wife to succeed in his venture, so there's an opportunity to emphasize how cooperation can help one succeed.
Notes on adaptation for telling: I would emphasize the rhythmic language of the tale and the individual personalities of the creatures Ananse captures with voice characterizations.

9. Salt

Title: Langton, Jane. Translated by Alice Plume. Salt: from a Russian Folktale by A.N. Afanasyev. New York: Hyperion, c1992.
Summary: A merchant gives his 2 older sons ships to seek their fortunes by trading. He calls his youngest son Ivan the Fool, because Ivan asks so many seemingly silly questions. At first, he doesn't want to give Ivan a ship of his own, but at last he accedes to his pleadings. Ivan has the smallest ship, the poorest cargo, and the tiniest knife, but sets off on his journey. Blown off course in a storm, Ivan lands on an island with a white mountain. The mountain proves to be made of salt, a commodity more precious than any other. Ivan goes to the Tsar's Palace and saves the Tsar's ailing daughter by teaching the Tsar's cook how to season soup to make it tasty. The Tsar's daughter Marushka falls in love with Ivan and they are married. They sail off, and come upon Ivan's older brothers, who have not fared well in their trading. Ivan generously invites them aboard his ship, where they are consumed by jealousy over his good fortune and his beautiful bride. The brothers toss Ivan overboard, causing Marushka to weep so many salt tears that the ship begins to flood and sink. Ivan does not drown, but reaches land, where he encounters a giant, whom Ivan tricks into walking around the world back to his father's house. There he finds Marushka, now betrothed to one of his brothers. But Ivan reclaims his wife and at last earns his father's respect for his miraculous discovery of the salt mountain.
Cultural origins and how identified: According to the book's title and colophon information, the tale is Russian.
Audience: The tale is appropriate Kindergarten-Grade 4 [ages 5-10] according to School Library Journal review. In my opinion, it's too complex for kindergarteners; I'd reserve it for older listeners, probably 3rd grade and up. This would be a nice addition to a multicultural reading night at a school.
Notes on adaptation for telling: What I like best is the introduction of the tale, told by a cat, who sings and purrs to tell the story; I would definitely include that aspect of this version. At the end of the book, the cat sings a song to conclude the tale.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

8. Old Meshikee and the Little Crabs

Title: Spooner, Michael and Lolita Taylor. Old Meshikee and the Little Crabs. New York: Henry Holt and Company, c1996. Summary: Old Meshikee, a trickster turtle, plays his drum so loudly that his neighbors the sand crabs, the Shagizenz, can't stand it! They can't think, they can't dance; something must be done! The crabs decide to get rid of Old Meshikee forever. They tie him up with a rope and threaten to cook him in the fire. Meshikee doesn't seem to care and taunts them, claiming the only thing he fears is water. The Shagizenz now threaten to put him in a pot of water over the fire. Again, Meshikee says he doesn't care; what he really fears is cold, deep water. Now the sand crabs threaten to throw him in the lake so that he'll never play his drum again. Meshikee cries out and swoons, but the Shagizenz toss him in the water. Of course, Old Meshikee triumphs in the end. He swims back to his island and plays his old drum as loud as he wants and laughs and laughs.
Cultural origins and how identified: According to the book's colophon, this is "an Ojibwe story". The following is quoted from the afterword source note: "This traditional story about Meshikee is one of many that Lolita Taylor learned from her Ojibwe grandfather as a child in the early 1900s. She told the story to my father in the 1930s and first told it to me in 1981."
Audience: According to a School Library Journal review, the story is good for grades 2-4 [ages 7-10]. I think this could work for a younger audience as well as a family storytime at the library. It would also be appropriate for a school reading night or festival emphasizing multicultural stories.

Notes on adaptation for telling: There are many opportunities for fun sound effects with Old Meshikee's drums. There are also good opportunities for audience participation in Old Meshikee's repitition of "What you gonna do? What you gonna do?" and the crabs' chorus of "That's what we'll do! That's what we'll do!" This would be great fun for children.

7. The Flying Dutchman


Title: Storr, Catherine. The Flying Dutchman. Milwaukee, WI: Raintree Children's Books, c1985.
Summary: A proud sea captain is doomed to sail the ocean forever because of a bargain made with the Devil. A young girl, Senta, hears the legend of the Ghost Ship from her grandfather, who tells her that the captain can only come ashore once every seven years, and then only for one day and one night. The Devil's curse can only be broken if the captain finds a woman to love him. Senta believes she could love the Flying Dutchman. Seven years later, Senta is a young woman. She has refused all suitors seeking her hand. One day, the Ghost Ship sails into the harbor. Senta meets a tall, pale Dutchman and knows who he is--the captain of the Ghost Ship. She loves him and the captain shouts out to the Devil to set him free. The story ends ambiguously: "Some people say that Senta's love saved the Dutchman. Others say that the Devil would not give up his prey."
Cultural origins and how identified: From the book's colophon: "The story and illustrations have been based on original historical sources. The most famous version of the story is found in Der Fliegende Hollander, an opera by Richard Wagner first performed in 1843." From cataloging information in the colophon: "Folklore--Netherlands".
Audience: I would tell this tale to older children, 3rd grade and up, due to the somewhat scary themes. It would make a nice spooky evening story time at the library, or a good classroom tale for Halloween.
Notes on adaptation for telling: The text version of this tale (at least this one) is dry as a bone. I think telling it aloud would vastly improve it. It should be told in a spooky voice. The uncertain ending should be emphasized to send chills up the listeners' spines.
Cover image note: I could not find an actual picture of this book; this is an alternate rendering of The Flying Dutchman.

Monday, February 2, 2009

6. The Gigantic Turnip


Title: Tolstoy, Aleksei and Niamh Sharkey. The Gigantic Turnip. New York: Barefoot Books, c1998.
Summary: A farmer and his wife live in a cottage with a wildly overgrown garden. They kept an assortment of animals: 6 yellow canaries, 5 white geese, 4 speckled hens, 3 black cats, 2 pot-bellied pigs and one big brown cow. In the spring, the couple sowed vegetable seeds: peas, carrots, potatoes, beans, and last of all, turnips. The rain fell and the garden grew, and the couple harvested their vegetables. At the very end of a row was one turnip left--a gigantic turnip! The old man tried to pull it up, but it would not move. Then the old woman held onto the old man and they both pulled, but the turnip wouldn't budge. Then the cow joined them in pulling, but still the turnip remained in the ground. One by one, all the farm animals were added to the "pulling chain" to try and get the turnip, but without success. Everyone lay on the ground, exhausted, until the old woman had an idea. She got a piece of cheese and lured a mouse out of his hole, and caught him. She added the mouse onto the chain of animals, and together they pulled and pulled until finally: POP! The turnip came flying out of the ground, knocking everyone over. They all laughed, and that night, made a huge bowl of turnip stew, and everyone ate their fill. And the little mouse ate the most of all!
Cultural origins and how identified: The following is from cataloging information in the book's colophon: "Retelling of the famous Russian folktale". In another version,
"The One-Turnip Garden" is from Ten Small Tales, retold by Celia Barker Lottridge, New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 1994, pages 29 to 33, is cited on http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson172.shtml
Audience: This story is appropriate for preschool-Grade 2 [ages 3-8] per School Library Journal review. This tale would work for a library storytime and would also be good for a family reading night, either at school or the library.
Notes on adaptation for telling: This would be a fun story to have kids act out during the telling (as long as the mayhem could be kept under control.) One could also use alot of different voice characterizations for the old man, old woman, and all the different animals. A big "POP" when the turnip finally emerges is essential!

5. The Three Cabritos


Title: Kimmel, Eric A. The Three Cabritos. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish Company, c2007.
Summary: The 3 cabritos (young goats) lived with their mom on a ranch near the Rio Grande. They had a band and loved to play music. One day they heard about a fiesta just across the border in Mexico and wanted to go. Their mother, however, pleaded with them not to, because they'd have to cross the bridge over the Rio Grande, under which lived the terrible and fearsome Chupacabra, the goat-sucker! The 3 cabritos told her not to worry and set off. The first cabrito, Reynaldo, reached the bridge first. As he crossed, the Chupacabra jumped out! Reynaldo convinced the beast not to eat him, but to wait for his fatter brother Orlando. The Chupacabra demanded that Reynaldo play a tune on his fiddle first that he could dance to, and in they end he agreed to eat his brother instead. Along came Orlando, who had the same encounter with the monster. He told the beast that he was skinny and weak, but his older brother Augustin was coming next. First, the monster made him play a tune on his guitar and danced to it, and then agreed to eat Augustin instead. Finally, Augustin arrived, and the Chupacabra was ready to eat him. As a last request, Augustin asked to play his accordion one last time; the Chupacabra agreed. Augustin played so fast that the Chupacabra's dancing was frenzied. He began to turn red and smoke came out of his ears! Suddenly, he shrieked, collapsed and shriveled like a popped balloon, until only a husk remained. Augustin crushed it and crossed into Mexico to meet his brothers, and the Chupacabra was no more.
Cultural origins and how identified: This version is an adaptation of a Norwegian folktale ("The Three Billy Goats Gruff"), which is cited in the cataloging information in the book's colophon quoted here: "Folklore--Norway. Asbjornsen, Peter Christe, 1812-1885. Tre bukkene Bruse." Further sources include Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe, De tre bukkene Bruse som skulle gå til seters og gjøre seg fete, Norske Folkeeventyr, translated by George Webbe Dasent in Popular Tales from the Norse, 2nd edition (London: George Routledge and Sons, n.d.), no. 37, pp. 275-276. http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/type0122e.html
Kimmel notes in the afterword: "The Three Cabritos is my own original retelling of "The Three Billy Goats Gruff" with a Texas twist. Cabrito means "young goat" or "kid" in Spanish. Chupacabra is a legendary creature who attacks farm animals at night. Chupacabra was first reported in Puerto Rico. Subsequent sightings followed in Florida, Texas and Mexico."
Audience: This could work for children ages at least 6-9. I've read this story with good results to children up to 5th grade at a school "read-in" and I think it would also work for a family library storytime, since the original tale is so familiar.
Notes on adaptation for telling: I'd use varying voices for the 3 cabritos and their elderly nanny goat mom, as well as the menacing, huge Chupacabra. I'd definitely put emphasis on the word "Chupacabra!: to add a little fun frisson of fear to the tale. I might like to play a little Tex-Mex music before telling the story, and would invite audience participation as the goats cross the bridge and the Chupacabra madly dances.

Friday, January 30, 2009

4. The Giantess


Title: Hasler, Eveline and Renate Seelig. Translated by Laura McKenna. The Giantess. Brooklyn, NY: Kane/Miller Book Publishers, 1997.
Summary:
A lonely giantess named Emmeline lives at the edge of the forest so she won't frighten people (as she did unwittingly one day to a woman picking mushrooms). Emmeline's mother, a woman of normal size, predicted that she would forever be alone, and that no man would ever love her, since "men expect women to look up to them." A young woodsman built a cabin near Emmeline's house. He saw her face in the window and waved each time he saw her. She waved back, and their relationship slowly grew. One day, a carnival came to the nearby town, and the woodsman decided to invite Emmeline. He knocked at her door, and rang the bell, but there was no answer, so he opened the door and peeked in. He saw Emmeline asleep and was amazed to see that she was a giantess. However, she was more beautiful than he ever imagined. Quietly, he left, and decided to keep this to himself. The next day, he invited her to the carnival. At first, she demurred, fearing her size would scare the townspeople. The woodsman encouraged her, saying that everyone would be in costume, and she could be anything she wanted. They went to the carnival, and Emmeline was much admired. Suddenly, another giant approached! The young man danced with Emmeline to the delight of the crowd, and Emmeline was very happy to meet someone her own size at last. Just then, a small child pulled on the giant's trousers, only to reveal stilts! He toppled to the ground, revealing his true identity as Emmeline's woodsman neighbor. She wept. The crowd, dismayed, asked if she were a real giantess. Emmeline admitted that she was, but far from being afraid, the people were amazed and thrilled. Now the woodsman came forward, and admitted that he had known Emmeline's secret for sometime, but admired her because her height reminded him of his friends, the trees. The next day, they walked hand in hand through the great forest.
Cultural origins and how identified: This is quoted from the book's colophon: "Originally published in 1996 in Germany under title Die Riesin by Verlag Heinrich Ellermann, Munich, Germany." This is a modern folktale written in a traditional mode.
Audience: According to a School Library Journal review, the tale works for Kindergarten-Grade 2 [ages 5-8]. I think it would also be good for older children, since its tale of acceptance is worth hearing. This tale would be good for a library program or as a part of a lesson on tolerance in a classroom.
Notes on adaptation for telling: This is a wonderful tale about valuing individual differences, with understated feminist notes. The tale should be told with varying emotions: sadness when the giantess weeps, joy when she finds her "soul mate". The somewhat open-ended finish to the tale could offer some opportunities for the audience to suggest what happens. Do they live happily ever after?

3. Legend of the Milky Way


Title: Lee, Jeanne M. Legend of the Milky Way. New York, NY: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1982.
Summary: The story tells of origins of the Milky Way, which in China is known as the Silver River. A young peasant, whose only friend is his water buffalo, plays his flute by the river. One day, his music travels up to heaven, where a beautiful princess hears it. Entranced, she travels to earth to find the music's source. When she finds the young man, she says she is a weaver from far away. They fall in love, marry, and live together in his small house. One day, the man's beloved water buffalo lays dying. He tells the young man to sew his hide into a cloak, which will perform miracles. Up in heaven, the Queen notices the weaver princess's empty loom and orders the palace guards to search for her. They find her on earth and take her back to heaven. When the young man returns to find his wife gone, he doesn't know what to do. He remembers the buffalo cloak and puts it on; miraculously, he is lifted up to the sky. The Queen sees him coming, and to stop him, takes a pin from her hair to draw a silver river across the sky. The man can go no further. To separate the man and the princess forever, the Queen turns them into stars, one on each side of the river. The princess cries all day and night. Her father, the King, takes pity on her and allows her to visit her husband once a year. On the seventh day of the seventh month, the blackbirds of heaven form a bridge over the Silver River, and the weaver princess visits her husband for a short while.
Cultural origins and how identified: This tale is from China. The following is from the book's colophon: "Retells the Chinese legend of the Weaver Princess who came down from heaven to marry a mortal; a love story represented in the stars of the Milky Way." This is on the jacket flyleaf: "This enchanting ancient Chinese folktale about the origin of the Milky Way has circulated among the people of China for more than two thousand years." The following is quoted from the last page of the book: "The seventh day of the seventh month of the Chinese year falls sometime in August. On that day in China, the people honor the weaver princess and her earthly husband with a feast. If it rains that night, they say the princess is crying because she must say good-bye to her husband. Sometimes, on a clear night, you can see the bridge of birds across the 'Silver River'. The star that astronomers call Vega in the constellation Lyra is the weaver princess, and the stair Altair in the constellation Aquila is the young man."
Audience: Publishers Weekly Reviews states that the story is appropriate for ages 4-7. In my opinion, 4 is a bit young to understand the romantic nuances. I would tell this story to ages 7 and up, in either a library or school storytime. It might even work for adults; perhaps as a bittersweet story to tell around Valentine's Day.
Notes on adaptation for telling: This is a gorgeous, elegaic tale akin to a creation myth. It should be told reverently and quietly, with an air of mystery.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

2. Borreguita and the Coyote : A Tale from Ayutla, Mexico


Title: Aardema, Verna. Borreguita and the Coyote : A Tale from Ayutla, Mexico. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 1991.
Summary: Borreguita ("little lamb") lives happily on a farm at the foot of a mountain. One day, her master ties her out in a field of red clover. She grazes happily until Coyote comes along and wants to eat her up. Borreguita tricks Coyote into waiting until she's fattened up from grazing, and he agrees to come back later. Upon his return, she tempts him with something tastier than lamb: cheese! This "cheese" turns out to be the reflection of the full moon in the farmer's pond, which the Coyote discovers when he tries to gobble it up and ends up sputtering in the water.
Borreguita again tricks Coyote by luring him between 2 rocks on the mountain, claiming that he must hold the mountain up with his legs lest it fall down. She scampers off. The next day, Coyote insists that the time has come: he will eat Borreguita. She has one final request: he must swallow her whole. He opens his mouth and she runs at him and rams him so hard that all his teeth ache. At last the dim-witted Coyote has learned his lesson, and Borreguita is never troubled with him again.

Cultural origins and how identified: The following is quoted from the book's colophon: "Borreguita and the Coyote : A Tale from Ayutla, Mexico was translated and retold by Verna Aardema from "El Borreguita y el Coyote," beginning on page 509, with one episode from "La Zorra y el Coyote," page 514, in Tales from Jalisco, Mexico, vol. XXXV by Howard T. Wheeler, published by The American Folklore Society, 1943."
Audience: The tale is for children from grades K-3 (according to School Library Journal review). I would extend this age range up to 5th grade, having read this story to that group with good results. It would also be good for a family story time, since trickster tales have such great appeal. This story is appropriate for school and/or library settings.
Notes on adaptation for telling: I would use a sinister "wolfy" voice for Coyote and a sweet (but sly) voice for Borreguita. Listeners could chime in on Borreguita's "baa-baa"s and on Coyote's mournful howls when he realizes he's been duped yet again.



Wednesday, January 21, 2009

1. Anansi the Spider


Title: McDermott, Gerald. Anansi the spider: a tale from the Ashanti. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company, 1986.
Summary: This story tells the tale of Anansi the spider and his 6 sons: See Trouble, Road Builder, River Drinker, Game Skinner, Stone Thrower and Cushion. Anansi's sons each have different skills that help their father Anansi triumph over various misadventures along his journey. There's more trouble when Anansi decides to give the moon to his "best son", and can't decide which one deserves it the most. He calls on the God of All Things, Nyame, to help him choose. Nyame comes up with a Solomonic solution to Anansi's dilemma.
Cultural origins and how identified: The author identifies the tale as coming from the Ashanti people in Ghana in the title.
Audience: This story is for children from 5-8 (according to Publisher's Weekly review). I think this is accurate and would be appropriate for school and/or library settings. In this story, Anansi is depicted as a bit of a fool, but he's an innocent fool, not a mean one, so kids can relate to him.
Notes on adaptation for telling:
One could use different voices for the narrator, Anansi and his sons. The tone should be lighthearted. Using puppets (gloves make great spiders) would also be a fun way to enhance the storytelling.