Wave in Her Pocket: Stories from Trinidad by Lynn Joseph, Dinah Stevenson (Editor), Brian Pinkney (Illustrator)

From the Publisher

Five young cousins have plenty to do on the island but there's always time to hear one of Tantie's stories.

Publishers Weekly

Trinidad native Joseph ( Coconut Kind of Day ) draws on her childhood for this seamless anthology. Told in the idiomatic, lilting cadences of the West Indies, the stories--some scary, some funny, some poignant--beg to be read aloud. Readers meet many of the exotic characters of Trinidad's rich oral tradition, including the soucouyant (a witch who becomes a ball of flame at night), the ligahoo (a being able to change shape at will) and the ghosts or jumbies who lurk in graveyards. Tantie (``great-aunt'') is the storyteller whose narrative unfolds through the eyes of grandniece Amber. In a fitting finale that is at once touching and deliciously hair-raising, Tantie passes Amber the storytelling torch--as well as a necklace of bright beads given to her by Papa Bois, a forest spirit with cloven hooves. Rich in island atmosphere, Pinkney's ( The Ballad of Belle Dorcas ) scratchboard illustrations put the crowning touch on this superbly crafted collection, which deserves a place on any folklore shelf. Ages 8-12. (Apr.)

School Library Journal

Gr 2-4-- Tantie Delphine's stories liven all family gatherings, and serve the equally profound purpose of passing the culture to a new generation. She tells scary stories about the the ball-of-fire vampire and the Ligahoo, who brings floods; tender stories of Tantie's lost lover; trickster stories of talking monkeys; or curious stories of enchanted beads and knowledge of the future. Joseph recreates moments from her own childhood on the island of Trinidad for a wider audience without sacrificing any of the unique flavor and immediacy of some new/old legends. Graceful prose and enthralling use of the island vernacular will make delightful story times. What lucky children to have such a storytelling tantie, and how lucky readers are to have Joseph to pass the tales on to them. Pinkney's expressive scratchboard drawings complement each story with a portrait of the protagonist or the action from his own point of view. --Ruth Semrau, Lovejoy School, Allen, TX

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