Synopses & Reviews
Who's Epossumondas? Why, he's his mama's and his auntie's sweet little patootie, that's who. He's also the silliest, most lovable, most muddleheaded possum south of the Mason-Dixon line!
Better choose your words wisely when he's around, 'cause otherwise you never know what you'll get. Epossumondas just might bring you a fist full of crumbs, or a soaking wet puppy, or a scruffy wad of bread--oh, you just wouldn't believe it!
Renowned storyteller Coleen Salley and Caldecott Honor illustrator Janet Stevens team up for this outrageous twist on the Southern story of the noodlehead who takes everything way too literally. (Or is that Epossumondas just pulling his mama's leg?)
Review
"The skillfully wielded visual anarchy explodes off the page . . . This one market trip children will wish to take again and again."and#150; Publishers Weekly
Review
* (starred review)andnbsp; "The bouncy rhymes and expressive paintings complement each other well, melding into a simple but satisfying story that will fit into story hours with themes of rain, dogs, or sharing."andnbsp; --Kirkus (August 1, 2006)
Review
andquot;Beaumont shines in rhythmic play...Stevens [is] a master at animal portraiture...A gleeful look at self-acceptance.andquot;
andmdash;Kirkus
and#160;
Synopsis
From Elephantand#8217;s long nose to Monkeyand#8217;s stick-out ears, everyone is worth celebrating, no matter what they look like!
Synopsis
Warty Warthog may have warts and tusks, but he likes himself that way! Join him as he celebrates all of his animal friends and the attributes that make each one unique. Whether itandrsquo;s Crocodileand#39;s toothy grin or Kangarooandrsquo;sand#160;huge feet or Leopardandrsquo;s spottiness, each animal is different. Wouldnandrsquo;t it be dull if all the animals at the zooandmdash;and all the people in the worldandmdash;looked alike? A joyful picture-book celebration of everything that makes us individuals!and#160;
Synopsis
When a fuzzy tennis ball lands in a prairie-dog town, the prairie dogs discover that their newfound frenzy for fuzz creates no end of trouble.
Synopsis
Deep, deep down in their underground town, the prairie dogs live in harmony--until a mysterious, fluorescent, very fuzzy
thing (otherwise known as a tennis ball) rolls down their hole. When the prairie dogs discover that they can pluck and pull the fuzz into fabulous fashions, their fear quickly turns to curiosity, then delight, then pure greed.
The frenzy that erupts threatens to tear apart the prairie-dog town forever. But when mean ol' Big Bark is kidnapped after taking all the fuzz for himself, the prairie dogs come to the rescue and remember the true meaning of community.
Synopsis
Southern storyteller Coleen Salley and hilarious illustrator Janet Stevens join talents in this irreverent twist on a classic tale.
Synopsis
What's a dog to do with a problematic human? Mr. Mutt has the answers!
Synopsis
Responding to disgruntled dogs nationwide, Mr. Mutt, Canine Counselor, has solutions to the most sticky dilemmas. But Mr. Mutt has his own problem to solve: the cat (aka The Queen), who has her own idea of whoand#8217;s in charge. Now Mr. Mutt is the one who needs help--quick!and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;Through letters and newspaper clippings--and with plenty of their trademark humor--Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel give voice to despairing dogs everywhere.and#160;and#160;
Synopsis
Hey diddle, diddle, the cat and the fiddle, The cow jumped over the moon; The little dog laughed to see such sport, And the dish ran away with the spoon.
Synopsis
Every night the rhyme gets read. Every night Dish and Spoon run away. And every night they return--until tonight!
Where can Dish and Spoon be? The rhyme can't go on without them, so Cat, Cow, and Dog set out to search for their missing friends. But where to start? Should they go north? East? Northeast? They'll just have to read Fork's map, ask directions, and try not to get lost in Little Boy Blue's haystack or under Miss Muffet's tuffet or in Big Bad Wolf's kitchen--"FEE, FI, FO . . ." Oh no. Could that be the giant?
Synopsis
Hare solves his familyand#8217;s problems by tricking rich and lazy Bear in this funny, energetic version of an old slave story. With roots in American slave tales,
Tops and Bottoms celebrates the trickster tradition of using oneand#8217;s wits to overcome hardship. and#8220;As usual, Stevensand#8217; animal characters, bold and colorful, are delightful. . . . Itand#8217;s all wonderful fun, and the book opens, fittingly, from top to bottom instead of from side to side, making it perfect for story-time sharing.and#8221;--
Booklist This title has been selected as a Common Core Text Exemplar (Grades 2-3, Stories)
Synopsis
Big Brown Rooster is sick of chicken feed. So along with his friends--Turtle, Iguana, and Potbellied Pig--he sets out to make the most magnificent strawberry shortcake in the whole wide world. But thereand#8217;s one problem: none of his friends knows how to cook! The team bravely forges ahead, and with Roosterand#8217;s help, they learn how to measure flour (not with a ruler) and how to beat an egg (not with a baseball bat). But can they keep Pig from gobbling up all the ingredients? Take an old family recipe, add four funny friends, and mix in some hilarious cooking confusion and you have a picture book treat for children of all ages!
Synopsis
To market, to market, to buy a fat pig . . . Whatand#8217;s a poor shopper to do when her groceries have a mind of their own?and#160;The lively rhymes andand#160;innovative artwork make for a perfect lap-sized board book.
Synopsis
This spirited child, after being told not to paint the walls, paints himself instead.
Synopsis
A dab of blue here, a splash of red there, a goopy smear of green . . . everywhere. To the tune of "It Ain't Gonna Rain No More," one creative kid floods his world with color, painting first the walls, then the ceiling, then HIMSELF! Before this feisty artist is through, he'll have painted his head, back, hands, legs, feet, and . . . Oh no--here comes Mama!
Karen Beaumont's zippy text and David Catrow's zany illustrations turn an infamous childhood activity into raucous storytime fun, giving a silly twist to the fine art of self-expression.
Synopsis
Exuberant rhymes and wild illustrations celebrate self-acceptance.
Synopsis
High on energy and imagination, this ode to self-esteem encourages kids to appreciate everything about themselves--inside and out. Messy hair? Beaver breath? So what! Here's a little girl who knows what really matters.
At once silly and serious, Karen Beaumont's joyous rhyming text and David Catrow's wild illustrations unite in a book that is sassy, soulful--and straight from the heart.
Synopsis
A rainy read-aloud romp!
Synopsis
It's raining cats and dogs! Good thing Rover is snuggled safe and dry inside his doghouse--until, one by one, a soggy menagerie of creatures shows up looking for a cozy place to sit out the storm. But who's the very unwelcome surprise visitor? Skunk, of course. Suddenly that doghouse isn't quite so crowded after all!
About the Author
COLEEN SALLEY (1946-2008) was a renowned storyteller, a distinguished professor of childrenand#39;s literature, andandnbsp;the author of aandnbsp;number of belovedandnbsp;picture books. The classic Southernandnbsp;story of Epaminondasandnbsp;was her longtimeandnbsp;trademark tale at storytelling performances nationwide. She adaptedandnbsp;this storyandnbsp;into the acclaimed picture bookandnbsp;Epossumondas,andnbsp;followed by Why Epossumondas Has No Hair onandnbsp;His Tail, Epossumondas Saves the Day, and Epossumondas Plays Possum, all illustrated by Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator Janet Stevens. Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana,andnbsp;Coleen Salleyandnbsp;livedandnbsp;for many years in the French Quarterandnbsp;of New Orleans.