Search Results: 56 books from 9 publishers. Learn more

Tales of Nonsense & Tomfoolery

Pleasant DeSpain (author)

Publisher: August House ISBN: 9780874836707

A hilarious collection of short folktales from all over the world featuring silly characters, nonsensical situations, and general tomfoolery.

Sister Tricksters

Robert D. Sansouci (author), Daniel San Souci (illustrator)

Publisher: August House ISBN: 9780874837919

Everyone remembers the exploits of Br'er Rabbit and his cohorts Br'er Fox, Br'er Possum, and other sly characters. But while these tales were circulating among slaves in the southern United States, another set of stories was passed along just as enthusiastically only here the clever tricksters were female. Who better to tackle the stories of these sister tricksters than the San Souci brothers? Utilizing a contagiously rhythmic, pitch-perfect dialect, writer Robert gleefully interprets the exploits of Molly Cottontail, Miz Grasshopper, Miz Duck, and Miz Goose against worthy (and not-so-worthy) foes such as Mistah Slickry Sly-fox, Mistah Rooster, and Mistah Bear. Brother Daniel's comically realistic paintings capture the slapstick frenzy of these characters engaged in battles of wits against the rural Southern landscape that nourished the tales in their infancy.

Mama Learns to Drive

Donald Davis (author)

Publisher: August House ISBN: 9780874837452

The author presents eight short stories about his mother and other family members as they grew up in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina.

Of Kings and Fools

Michael; Olivier Parent (author)

Publisher: August House ISBN: 9780874834819

Bubbling with beautiful princesses, dragon-slaying underdogs, and crafty tricksters, these Franco-American stories explore a heritage that has become known as "a quiet presence". Co-authors, Parent and Olivier recount the lutin's tricks on farmers, the Jack-like adventures of Ti-Jean, Pierre and his modern-day chainsaw, a beautiful princess conquering an evil witch, and family stories passed down from generation to generation. Meet Michael's grandfather, Honor Fournier, who spoiled his grandchildren with kindly generosity, and Alexis Lacasse, Julien's grandfather, who didn't let a prank stop him from arriving to dinner on time. Life in Franco-American families revolved around two entities: family and church. The authors address these two important aspects and how they have influenced their stories. Olivier and Parent inherited their families' love of stories and continue that legacy by sharing their ancestry and heritage in this charming book.

Listening for the Crack of Dawn

Donald Davis (author)

Publisher: August House ISBN: 9780874836059

The fourteen personal stories in this delightful coming of age book apply universal elements with characters and situations that everyone will recognize so that only the names, places and times change from our own childhood stories.

Adventures of High John the Conqueror

Steve Sanfield (author)

Publisher: August House ISBN: 9780874837742

High John the Conqueror sometimes called simply High John or John was a slave trickster who always outwits Old Master. Much like Greek slave Aesop's animal characters, High John was the subject of a series of subversive narratives, whose mission was to outsmart his oppressors. Tall tales of High John's exploits flourished during slavery, but after emancipation they fell out of circulation and his antics were all but forgotten.