Synopses & Reviews
Kids always want Joe Hayes to tell The Gum-Chewing Rattler. And why not? It combines so many things kids love to do—chew bubble gum, tell tall tales, and drive their moms crazy—with the wild, impossible claim that a rattlesnake chewed gum and blew a bubble with it!
You see, when Joe was a boy, that’s what he told his mother—that bubble gum saved him from a rattlesnake’s fangs! Really! Don’t worry—Joe’s mother didn’t believe him either.
In 2005, Joe Hayes received the Talking Leaves Award from the National Storytelling Network for his contributions to the literature of storytelling.
Review
"Hayes himself appears at the beginning and end, recalling to a small group of listeners how, as a lad, he changed his mothers irritated tune about keeping bubblegum in his shirt pockets.
Castro exaggerates the expressions on his human characters and gives the rattler a fiercely intense air of menace for this brief and thoroughly believable (right?) tale." Kirkus Reviews
"The large, two-page illustrations depict the exaggerations of this tall tale perfectly with varying perspectives on the child's encounter with the creature, bright shades of gold and turquoise, and an emphasis on pink (of course). Endpapers repeat the bold pink with splashes of a paler hue, framing a fun book for just about any kid; boys, especially, will love it." School Library Journal
"An upbeat and playful story, perfectly accentuated by the wry yet realistic art." —Midwest Book Review
"Veteran storyteller Hayes masterfully spins a kid-pleasing tall-tale from the Arizona desert
A surefire storytime pleaser." Children's Literature
Synopsis
Storytelling World Honor Award, Storytelling World
A humorous tall tale about how one piece of bubblegum saved author Joe Hayes as a young boy.
When Joe Hayes was a boy, he chewed lots of bubblegum. His mom would get so mad when the gum in his shirt pocket made a terrible mess in the wash.
But one wad of bubblegum just happened to save Joe from a rattlesnake's bite. Could you believe it? It really did happen
Synopsis
A humorous tall tale about how one piece of bubblegum saved author Joe Hayes as a young boy.
When Joe Hayes was a boy, he chewed lots of bubblegum. His mom would get so mad when the gum in his shirt pocket made a terrible mess in the wash.
But one wad of bubblegum just happened to save Joe from a rattlesnake's bite. Could you believe it? It really did happen
Synopsis
Do rattlesnakes chew bubble gum? Of course rattlesnakes chew bubble gum. Joe Hayes says they blow bubbles too!
About the Author
Joe Hayes is one of America's premier storytellers. He grew up in a small town in southern Arizona where he learned Spanish from his classmates. As he got older, Joe began gathering old stories from the Southwest. Joe has earned a distinctive role as a bilingual storyteller. Antonio Castro L. was born in Zacatecas, Mexico and has lived in the Juarez-El Paso area for most of his life. He has illustrated dozens of childrens' books including Pájaro Verde and Treasure on Gold Street.