SISTER TRICKSTERS:
Rollicking Tales of Clever Females
by Robert D. San Souci
Illustrated by Daniel San Souci
August House, 2006
[ages 8-12] hardcover.
ISBN: 0-87483-791-X
LC 2006040793

We are all very familiar with the classic male trickster characters such as Brer Rabbit, Anansi, and even Bugs Bunny. In this collection, Robert San Souci, the author of many award-winning retellings of legends and folktales for children, teams up with his brother, Daniel, to show us that the fairer sex can be just as clever and resourceful as their male counterparts.

The 2007 Storytelling World Resource Awards: Storytelling Collections Honors

National Parenting Publication Award 2006: Honors Award Winner

Selected for inclusion on Middle School List of California Collections

* [Starred Review] "Gr 3-6. These eight stories, featuring characters like Molly Cottontail, Miz Grasshopper, and Miz Goose, are energetically retold from Anne Virginia Culbertson's long out-of-print At the Big House (Bobbs-Merrill, 1904). The informative introduction states that the motivation for this book is to reintroduce female tricksters who are otherwise sparsely represented in folklore. An occasional pointed statement implies that females are more adept at thinking than males. Tales include an amusing story about Mistah Fox, who pretends to be dead; a humorous pourquoi tale that explains why roosters and toads eat grasshoppers; and a hilarious tale about Mistah Bear, who sits on a pile of pumpkins because Miz Goose convinces him that they are eggs that will hatch the family he so dearly wants. Delicious dialect and expressions convey a rural Southern flavor, yet the text is never hard to read or understand. In one story, Molly Cottontail responds to Mistah Fox, "I know I'm no more to look at these days than a lean crow with a graveyard cough." Stunning, richly colored, detailed, and playful paintings showing animals dressed in lavish finery introduce each lively tale. The illustrations and the large-print text stand out clearly on cream-colored backgrounds. This book warrants a place in all folklore collections." -- School Library Journal, Kirsten Cutler, Sonoma County Library, CA

HOT PICK, Preschool to Grade 4 -- School Library Journal's EXTRA HELPING: News, Views and Resources.

* [Starred Review] "Females, worthy foes of their male counterparts, are often absent from the body of trickster tales, but in this stellar collection, it's Molly Cottontail (aka Molly Hare) who takes center stage and matches wits with Mistah Slickry Sly-fox. Slickry's staged funeral and his plan to get even with Miz Molly are foiled when she arrives at the funeral and awakens him by throwing a pepper-laced bouquet of flowers on his corpse. Forced to sneeze, Slickry gives chase as Miz Molly is joined by Miz Grasshopper, Miz Duck and Miz Goose, and the rollicking fun takes off through the rest of the tales, eight in all. Full-page luminously colored illustrations introduce each tale as they foreshadow each story's action. The telling is styled in southern droll and perfect for adding to the storyteller's bag. The introduction summarizes the origin of the female trickster tale and helps to make this a first purchase for most libraries." (A * star is assigned to books of unusual merit, determined by the editors.) -- Kirkus Reviews

"Most of us know Anansi, B'rer Rabbit, and other male tricksters, but where are the women? San Souci has found them in these eight rollicking tales of madcap, drawn from Anne Virginia Culbertson's collection At the Big House . Readers meet Molly Hare (sometimes called Molly Cottontail) as she tangles over and over with Slickery Fox (most notably at his staged funeral), but they also will enjoy hearing how Miss Goose convinced Mistuh Bear to sit on a pile of pumpkins (he thinks they are eggs), why grasshoppers are eaten by toads and roosters, and more. Told with a dry wit and a Southern tone, the stories beg to be read aloud and will be enjoyed by young and old. Daniel San Souci's richly colored illustrations at the beginning of each tale humorously hint at what is to come. They are repeated almost as thumbnails after the last story; children will use them as prompts for recalling the stories. The cream-colored endpapers have pencil sketches from the tales as well. This outstanding collection is a must purchase." -- Children's Literature

Recommended. Grades 3-5. "San Souci has pulled together eight trickster tales from the American South. What is special about these tales is that they all have females as the clever tricksters. Each tale includes one colorful illustration. I remember hearing my father read Uncle Remus stories to us when we were children and this collection reminded me of those. Characters include Miz Molly Cottontail, Miz Grasshopper, Miz Duck, and Miz Goose who play tricks on Mistah Bear, Mistah Slickry Sly-fox and other hapless males and get themselves out of some sticky situations. Any of these tales would be a good choice for a storyteller who does well with acting out stories. They are all sure to get a laugh from the audience. They would also be good for read-alouds." — Ann M. G. Gray, Library Media Specialist, Pittsburg ( New Hampshire ) School. Library Media Connection , Vol. 25, Number 6, March 2007

"For folks who love the older, classic children's stories, August House Publishers have published some stories that have entertained children for a very long time. We can thank Robert D. San Souci and his brother Daniel who teamed up for Sister Tricksters: Rollicking Tales of Clever Females ($19.95) for readers aged 7 to 10. These are mainly texts with a handful of handsome illustrations and include some from the tales of Br'er Rabbit in which girls are the heroines such as Molly Cottontail, Miz Grasshopper and Miz Goose. The author has more than 60 children's books to his credit, plus the screenplay of the Disney film, Mulan." -- Bookviews by Alan Caruba

"There are a number of good Trickster books out right now, for readers young and old. Sister Tricksters: Rollicking Tales of Clever Females by Robert and David San Souci is a charming children's book that proves that not all mythic Tricksters are male, as is often assumed." -- The Endicott Studio for Mythic Arts: News, Reviews and Random Musings on Arts Inspired by Myths, Folklore and Fairy Tales.

"While the exploits of Anansi the Spider, Br'er Rabbit, and Coyote may be familiar from the many noteworthy collections of trickster tale published for young people, the female tricksters have had far less prominence in the literature. This outstanding collection be the brothers San Souci seeks to right that wrong by means of eight trickster tales of a more feminine persuasion from the American South. Adapted from a turn-of-the-century collection gathered by Anne Virginia Culbertson, these tales recall the wit and wisdom of Molly Cottontail, Miz Grasshopper, and Miz Duck, among others.
While the stories stand independent of one another, they are all related in that the characters live in the same community, so the exploits of one tale carry over as revenge (or, as is often the case, attempted revenge) in the next. More often than not, the female tricksters are depicted as superior thinkers ("That seems to be the special gift of the ladies, to get their own way with their brains instead of their fists. Compared to these quick-wits, menfolk often seem kind of clumsy and lumbersome"); the womenfolk also seem to work more in cahoots with one another, so that when Miz Goose tricks Mistah Bear into sitting on a pile of pumpkins to hatch a family, she is quick to run off and tell Miz Molly Cottontail about the trick she played (who then hurries over to laugh at Bear herself). The eight selections are consistently remarkable, and the rhythmic dialect and finely tuned language of the stories beg for a rollicking read aloud. Each tale is accompanied by a single vibrantly rendered painting by Daniel San Souci; the paintings, which depict an expressive and at times mischievous cast of characters in a moment of action from the upcoming story, would function well to inspire plot predictions from the audience. A solid introduction grounds trickster tales in a historical and social context. This fine collection is certain to receive widespread kudos and a long and noteworthy life on shelves and in story programs." -- The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"This collection of eight witty tales give female tricksters the honor (and attention) they deserve. Often wittier and more cunning than their male foes, they pit their tricky behavior against Mistah Slickry Sly-fox, Rooster, and Mistah Bear and emerge triumphant.... Each tale shows that the 'sister tricksters' are indeed more sly, more cunning, and able to play the 'trickster games' and get the last laugh. An introduction to the collection will give educators a good understanding of the evolution of trickster tales, particularly those involving 'sister tricksters.'" -- LibrarySparks

"Get ready for some laughs and wisdom told through this beautifully illustrated collection of eight trickster tales from the American South." -- "Children's Book Nook" column, Treasure Valley Family Magazine

Most of us remember the antics of Br'er Rabbit and Br'er Fox, but these were not the only stories told by slaves in the southern United States . Another set of tales were passed along — only the clever tricksters were female. Award winning authors and experts on folklore, the San Souci brothers tackle the sister tricksters with both humor and respect. Using a rhythmic dialect, writer Robert interprets the exploits of Molly Cottontale, Miz Grasshopper and Miz Duck against worthy foes. Brother Daniel brings the characters to life with colorful illustrations set against a rural South background. The stories have a slapstick element, but they carry undercurrents of wisdom and reassurance that even the weakest creature can, with the application of brain power, find her or his way out of a seemingly hopeless situation. Rather than considering the stories “politically incorrect,” readers can appreciate the wonder of folk tales that should not be lost. Sister Tricksters gives them a fresh life and reintroduces them to a new generation of listeners and readers. Cynthia V. Campbell The Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA)