With a Whoop and a Holler: A Bushel of Lore from Way down South by Nancy Van Laan, Scott Cook (Illustrator)

From the Publisher

Open this book and set off on a raucous romp through the bayous, mountains, and lowlands of America's colorful South. You'll read about the doings of Brer Rabbit, Fool John, and Ol' Gally Mander, and you'll learn such valuable lessons as If you keep your mouth shut, you won't catch flies! Some of the stories, poems, sayings, and superstitions and familiar; other are sure to become new favorites. All are funny, feisty, and absolutely irresistible.

Children's Literature

This "bushel of lore" comes from three southern regions of the United States—the Bayou, the Deep South and the Appalachian Mountains. Children and adults of all ages will delight in the stories, sayings and superstitions that are written in the dialect of each of the regions. Each section is introduced with the history of the people and of how the stories originated. The Bayou tales are sprinkled with French words and expressions (the translations are given at the beginning of each story). The Deep South includes plantation tales such as "B'rer Rabbit," brought from Africa and told by slaves. Many of the tales from the mountains ("Ol' Gally Mander") originally came from England, Ireland or Germany. Readers will learn the source of common superstitions such as "If your ears burn, someone is saying bad things about you," as well as less common sayings. The feisty paintings add to the liveliness of the often hilarious stories and poems. This is a wonderful anthology for reading aloud and a great storytelling resource. 2001, Aladdin Paperbacks, $19.95 and $10.00. Ages All. Reviewer: Cheryl Peterson

Product Details

• Table of Contents

Table of Contents