Synopses & Reviews
This handsome volume brings together eighteen American stories from eleven states, all of which are based on traditional tales of the European cultures that had the earliest influence on this country-the British Isles, France, Spain, and Germany. Some stories are variants of familiar favorites like "Snow White" ("A Stepchild That Was Treated Mighty Bad"), while others, like "The Little Bull with the Golden Horns," are less well known; some are funny, some poignant. All share a characteristic freshness, energy, and informality that mark them as purely American. Vividly colored illustrations in the style of American folk art add humor and charm to this collection of lively, colloquial tales-tales that just beg to be read aloud. An authoritative introduction and notes place each in its folkloric context.
Review
"A collection with a difference. Drawn from rare sources, these 18 stories and anecdotes, rooted in Europe but harvested in America, and often from African American tellers, are nearly all surprising variants on familiar folktales: Jack climbs the beanstalk in a righteous bid to reclaim items stolen from him and his mother; Tyll Eulenspiegel jumps the Atlantic to Pennsylvania Dutch country as trickster/fool Eileschpijjel; an Appalachian "Snow White" suddenly becomes a "good sister/bad sister" tale in which the vile stepmother ends up with an ever-full basket of snakes and toad-frogs. Philip generally lays editorial hands on the tales lightly, if at all, learnedly discusses tale types and other matters in appended notes, and caps the lot with a real find, retelling from an obscure Joel Chandler Harris collection an engaging tale of a disguised king who courts a skeptical shoemaker's daughter. Jacqueline Mair's small paintings add atmosphere by mimicking folk art patchwork and embroidery patterns. Stand this up next to Cohn's From Sea to Shining Sea: A Treasury of American Folklore and Folk Songs (1993) or Philip's own American Fairy Tales, from Rip Van Winkle to the Rootabaga Stories (1996) and watch storytellers and other students of American folklore in search of fresh material fall on it with glad cries."
Review
"A collection with a difference...watch storytellers and other students of American folklore in search of fresh material fall on it with glad cries." Booklist, ALA
A collection of traditional folktales (from England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Spain, and Germany) that were Americanized by storytellers in the 19th century and early 20th century. Philip, working in a less formal style than American Fairy Tales (1996), includes a Jack and the Beanstalk' from Kentucky, in which the boy is only retrieving his stolen belongings from the giant, King Peacock,' a Snow White variant from Louisiana, Tobe Killed a Bear,' a Missouri variant on part of the Beowulf story, and 13 more. The sources and variations of the stories appear at the end, where Philip also explains how much or little he has revised the tales, his reasoning, and which stories were reprinted untouched. Mair's full-color illustrations, deliberately invoking quilts and pictorial fabrics, suit the subject matter well.
Kirkus Reviews
Review
"A collection with a difference...watch storytellers and other students of American folklore in search of fresh material fall on it with glad cries."
About the Author
Neil Philip is a noted folklorist and anthologist who has written several books on Native American and multicultural themes for Clarion, including IN A SACRED MANNER I LIVE, which was named both a YALSA Best Book for Young Adults and a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. He lives in England.