Tomie dePaola's Front Porch Tales and North Country Whoppers
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These laugh-out-loud stories from New Hampshire and Vermont are set during the four seasons of the year. The storyteller in his appealing dialect tells little-known tales, among them “Mothah Skunk” and the night she had to move out with her kits because Sherman Curtis smelled so bad; the escapades of Big Gertie Benson, the lumberjacks' cook and a cousin of the Bunyans in the Midwest; and George Petty, who delivered the mail even during mud season by standing on the back of his horse with only his head sticking out. Interspersed throughout are comic style episodes as an unsuspecting tourist tries to get information from the “locals.” A delightful preface about living in New Hampshire for the past thirty-five years and visiting the North Country since he was a boy, explains why Tomie dePaola has perfect pitch for the dialect and a genuine appreciation for these unforgettable characters and their understated humor. Perfect for reading aloud to the family or in the classroom with a glossary to help with the pronunciations, these tales are sure to be a hit with Tomie's fans, young and old.Publishers WeeklyDePaola (the 26 Fairmount Avenue series) has frequently mined his childhood to create memorable tales; here he taps into his 35-year-plus residency in northern New Hampshire. Organized by seasons, these homespun vignettes are flavored with a North Country accent, but they feature dePaola's characteristically folksy pictures. The cast, mostly amiable, includes a few comically ornery locals, among them a soap-shunning fella whose ripe aroma sends a family of skunks scampering. Elsewhere, a "big-boned" gal related to the Bunyans meets her husband while working as a cook in a loggin' camp, where she makes flapjacks for the "lumbahjacks" on a griddle fashioned from an old saw blade; and a friendly man invites two unsuspecting newcomers to "set" with him and his wife on Saturday evenin' after suppah, a pastime that, apparently, entails sitting silently while listening to the tickin' of the clock, the cracklin' of the stove and the sizzlin' of doughnuts frying. This last scenario, where the wide-eyed guests have no idea what they are in for nor how to react to the settin' session, epitomizes the volume's wry humor ("Thanks fer coming," their host tells the visitors the next time he sees them. "Maude and I was sayin' that Saturday was one of the best sets we ever had"). Comics-style panels interspersed between sections lampoon tourists and locals; it's hard to predict which camp will enjoy this sunny book more. All ages. (Oct.) Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information
