Coyote: A Trickster Tale from the American Southwest

Book Description

Wherever Coyote goes you can be sure he’ll find trouble. Now he wants to sing, dance, and fly like the crows, so he begs them to teach him how. The crows agree but soon tire of Coyote’s bragging and boasting. They decide to teach the great trickster a lesson. This time, Coyote has found real trouble!

Customer Reviews:

Coyote wants to fly!.......2006-10-21

My son ([...] years old) enjoys a lot this funny story about the silliness of the coyote and the tricky birds. We read it often and have a little song for the dancing of the craws.
The design makes it easy for children eyes to understand the story without words.
Another lovely book from Gerald McDermott, but not as good as Zomo The Rabbit or Papagayo. These are really great!!

Coyote: A Trickster Tale from the American Southwest.......2006-01-15

This was a fair tale children seemed to follow the story better but did not want to hear this book again and again,I was disappointed.

A great book about a funny coyote!.......2000-03-30

I like it because when the Coyote meets some birds he wants to fly with, all the birds give him one of their right feathers, but he didn't balance. So they each gave him left feathers, but he still didn't balance. And the reason he didn't balance was because he needed one left feather and one right feather. - AMD, Age 7.

Porch Lies: Tales of Slicksters, Tricksters, and other Wily Characters

Average customer rating:

Destined to Become a Classic
Best Read-Aloud Lies
Any building a strong African American collection should have PORCH LIES.
Tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies

Porch Lies: Tales of Slicksters, Tricksters, and other Wily Characters
Patricia Mckissack
Manufacturer: Schwartz & Wade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0375836195
Release Date: 2006-08-22

Book Description

Side-splittingly funny, spine-chillingly spooky, this companion to a Newbery Honor-winning anthology is filled with bad characters who know exactly how to charm.
From the author's note, that takes us back to McKissack's own childhood when she would listen to stories told on her front porch...to the captivating introductions to each tale, in which the storyteller introduces himself and sets the stage for what follows...to the ten entertaining tales themselves here is a worthy successor to McKissack's THE DARK THIRTY. In The Best Lie Ever Told, meet Dooley Hunter, a trickster who spins an enormous whopper at the State Liar's contest. In Aunt Gran and the Outlaws, watch a little old lady slickster ousmart Frank and Jesse James. And in Cake Norris Lives On, come face to face with a man some folks believe may have died up to twenty-seven different times!

Customer Reviews:

Destined to Become a Classic.......2007-03-29

Acclaimed children's author and Newberry Honnor-winner Patricia McKissack offers a new take on African American oral tradition. Blending history, legend, myth and memory, she has spun 10 wonderful "porch lies," or stories, which are sure to charm adults and children alike. Accompanied by cartoonish, even ghoulish drawings, McKissack's prose paints vivid word pictures of slick and sharp-tongued characters who overcome evil and oppressors. Destined to become a classic.

Best Read-Aloud Lies.......2006-12-14

This was my introduction to Patricia McKissack. Had the great pleasure of hearing her read "Change" at a local book festival. I truly enjoyed reading this book to my fourth-grade daughter, trying to duplicate Ms. McKissack's African-American southern drawl. I felt that these very clever and fun stories would be best as read-alouds for elementary-school kids; due to the colloquialism and the tall-tale nature, an adult reader would be better able to give full color and understanding to these outstanding concoctions. Despite being an excellent reader, my child would not read this herself, and instead looked forward each night to having me dramatize the next story. Would be excellent for classroom readings.

Any building a strong African American collection should have PORCH LIES........2006-12-10

Parents and teachers interested in read-alouds will find PORCH LIES: TALES OF SLICKSTERS, TRICKSTERS AND OTHER WILY CHARACTERS to be top-notch. Andre Carrilho provides appealing black and white drawings to spice a series of fun stories revolving around exaggeration and humor, from a little old lady who outwits Jesse James to a professional liar. Any building a strong African American collection should have PORCH LIES.

Tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies.......2006-09-27

On an eight by ten sheet of paper, please explain the distinction between slicksters, tricksters and wily characters using examples of each kind to support your conjectures. You have (looks at the clock) five minutes. Go.

That, if you were a teacher of diabolical means and methods, would be one way of collecting a list of ne'er do wells for your own personal collection. To be frank, though, I wouldn't recommend it. You'd have far more luck if you happened to find yourself in the presence of Patricia McKissack's remarkable, "Porch Lies" and had the wherewithal to snatch it up right quick. Ms. McKissack has always been consistently good, consistently interesting, and blessed with an ear for African-American storytelling and vernacular. Rejoice then when I tell you that her latest venture is a pip. Wonderful to read, both to oneself and aloud to an audience, these are tales that demand to be heard. Hear them then and be content, cause you'll seldom find the like again.

To hear Ms. McKissack tell it, the place to be when she was a child of Nashville, Tennessee was not in the playgrounds or movie theaters of the city but on the porch of 3706 Centennnial. There, Patricia would spend her happy days listening as her grandparents, their friends, and some acquaintances reminisced about some "true" characters they had known in their day. Culling together all the best slickster-trickster tales she knew, McKissack recounts these characters after having processed them from her grandfather's "models" into 9 (or 10, depending on how you count) wholly new and original porch lies. Each story in this book is preceded by a small reminiscence of the person who was telling that tale and how they'd think to tell it in the first place. Then the real fun starts. We see poor Clovis Reed having his soul weighed against a feather and James Booker Black outwitting the devil for his own soul. We see Mingo Cass outwit a whole barbershop full of men and, in my personal favorite, sweet Dooley Hunter tell the greatest lie ever told. Every tale is recounted with a familiar feel but stands as its own original story on closer inspection. To read the book is to relax into the story and feel that you yourself are swinging on a porch swing, hearing the tales told on a breezy summer night.

The range of stories really make it worth a reader's while as well. You've got your tall tales alongside your moral ones. You've lovable scalawags and the not-so-lovable prigs that find them a nuisance. The gullible exist here alongside the exceedingly clever (but lazy). Ms. McKissack's wordplay is just lovely as well. Who can resist a line like, "Cooley was a one-of-a-kind in a one-size-fits-all world"? Each story rolls trippingly off the tongue, demanding that a person read it aloud to someone. Could be to a family member or a classroom. It doesn't matter who, really. Everyone can find something in this book to get a kick out of. And it's all thanks, in part, to Ms. McKissack's powerful grasp on the English language.

The problem with this book, if problem you can call it, is that it has a tendency to seep into a person's daily life. For example, I recently attended a fantastic performance of August Wilson's play, "Seven Guitars". Not ten minutes into the show, I found myself looking at characters that could've leapt from the pages of McKissack's book for all that they embodied the true spirit of tricksterism. Still, it's fun to read Ms. McKissack's tales and see little elements that may have cropped up in your own experience. For example, when we hear about Robert Johnson who sold his soul for success at the Crossroads, I suddenly remembered the film "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?", and the man in it who suffered the same fate. Or there's the moment when Clovis Reed's bedroom turns into a courtroom and his soul stands on trial. Sound like any old movies you may have seen in the past? Ms. McKissack isn't above giving the small shout-out to her own books as well. When she says, "Papa Jack's porch lies were usually about little girls who outsmarted foxes or captured the wind", you'd have to be fairly out of it (or simply uninformed) not to pick up on this obvious reference.

To be honest, had I thought about pairing this author's words alongside computer-animated figures the very notion of it would have straightened my hair. I could be forgiven for my ignorance in this manner, however, since artist Andre Carrilho is new to the world of children's book illustration. His style is one-of-a-kind and I don't know who the genius was who thought to pair him with Ms. McKissack, but the words "match made in heaven" have a tendency to pop up when the two are involved. Each story gets just one illustration, which is a true pity. Fortunately, the pics are so good that you instantly forgive the author his miserly tendencies. The range of depth and light is impressive, yes. But even better is the fact that parts of these illustrations appear to also be hand-drawn. And these elements seem to fit in seamlessly with the rest of the picture as a whole. There sits Mingo Cass getting his shoes shined and as you can see, his socks, the cloth on his foot, and the shoeshine boy's shirt appear to be drawn the old-fashioned way. A couple pages in and Cake Norris is being glared at by an angel with thin-lined wings. There's an arch and a lengthy curve to each picture that somehow manages to convey both movement and realism while remaining clearly drawn. I don't think Mr. Carrilho could work this well if he were to illustrate an entire picture book. Here, however, his skills have been used to their best advantage.

To be honest, there's no good reason in the whole wide world why you shouldn't already own a copy of this book. It's one of those titles you hold up and feel like you should have bought years and years ago, even if it's just been published. No excuses allowed. Purchase forthwith.

Average customer rating:

Charmingly predictable...
great book
Action, true love...and surprises in every corner
A splendid book!
And I thought the first one was amazing

Trickster's Queen (Aliane)
Tamora Pierce
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0375828788
Release Date: 2005-10-11

Book Description

Aly’s adventure continues. . . . No longer a slave, Alanna’s daughter is now spying as part of an underground rebellion against the colonial rulers of the Copper Isles. The people in the rebellion believe that a prophecy in which a new queen will rise up to take the throne is about to be realized. Aly is busy keeping the potential teenage queen and her younger siblings safe, while also keeping her in the dark about her future. But Aly, who is usually adept at anticipating danger and changes, is in for a few nasty surprises.
New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Tamora Pierce captured the imagination of readers 20 years ago with Alanna: The First Adventure. As of August 2003, she has written 21 books including three completed quartets: The Song of the Lioness, The Immortals, and The Protector of the Small, set in the fantasy realm of Tortall. She has also written the Circle of Magic and The Circle Opens quartets. The author lives in New York, NY.

From the Hardcover edition.

Download Description

Aly’s adventure continues…No longer a slave, Alanna’s daughter is now spying as part of an underground rebellion against the colonial rulers of the Copper Isles. The people in the rebellion believe that a prophecy in which a new queen will rise up to take the throne is about to be realized. Aly is busy keeping the potential teenage queen and her younger siblings safe, while also keeping her in the dark about her future. But Aly, who is usually adept at anticipating danger and changes, is in for a few nasty surprises.

Customer Reviews:

Charmingly predictable..........2007-08-06

... and I mean that in a good way. Ms. Pierce seemingly pulls characters from 20th century fantasy central casting and does a great job building a compelling page turner. This is light fare when so many authors seem to be driven to "go dark" to the point of being just plain depressing.

great book.......2007-04-06

My daughter (15 years) loves everything written by Tamora Pierce. Great author!

Action, true love...and surprises in every corner.......2007-03-30

Aly of Pirates Swoop is working for the Balitangs who are now very close to the thrown. The trickster god Kyprioth has left her to protect the Balitangs and to get their eldest daughter Sarai on the thrown...but things are about to get messy. After many surprising deaths of the rulers Sarai is coming next in line. But things turn around fast.

"By the tim e you can free yourself, my boy will have his hearts desire, Kyprioth will have his comeuppance, and YOU will have some work to do."
Stupid! Aly told herself. Stupid, over confident, blind!

Sarai is gone now and Aly desperatly needs to get a half raka girl on the thrown but...what about Dove?

I think everyone will enjoy this book. It's exciting, romantic and surprising. I hope you all take a chance and read this book.

A splendid book!.......2006-11-24

This book is definetley the best of the Trickster's duet! I fell in love with the story starting at page 1. She's finally gotten her mother and fathers trust to become and actual spy and she's about to finish her job by making Sarah the part-raka queen. Yet Aly is tricked by another god and Sarah can't go on the thrown. But Dove a young girl smarter than most think is next in line for queen. Will Aly fulfil her duty or will disaster come to her? Find out in the sequeal TRICKSTER'S QUEEN!
-Hannah M.

And I thought the first one was amazing.......2006-10-25

After the book Trickster's Choice, I was wondering how a sequel could possibly live up to the amazing book I had just put down. My worry was totally unfounded as I found myself gripped with the tale that lay before me.

I have to admit, there are few books that captivate me like this one did. The relationships between the characters, the imaginative plot and the on-the-mark dialogue kept me wanting more. And though the mystical land of Tortall has been the setting of more than a dozen of Pierce's books, this one breathed new life into a country I now wish I lived in. And Aly's relationship with Nawat develops in such an extraordinary way that I now watch the crows outside my window a little more carefully to see if my true love is among them.

I have read this book twice now and can't wait to pull it out to read it again. Most of Pierce's books are published at quatrains, but she claims this set will only consist of two books. I say, bring us more Aly!

Zomo the Rabbit: A Trickster Tale from West Africa

Average customer rating:

He is not big. He is not strong. He is fan-freakin-tastic
Do you think Zomo the Rabbit is Bugs Bunny's ancestor?
Unique vibrant illustrations
McDermott Masterful Again

Zomo the Rabbit: A Trickster Tale from West Africa
Gerald McDermott
Manufacturer: Voyager Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0152010106

Book Description

Zomo the rabbit, a trickster from West Africa, wants wisdom. But he must accomplish three apparently impossible tasks before Sky God will give him what he wants. Is he clever enough to do as Sky God asks? “The tale moves along with the swift concision of a good joke, right down to its satisfying punch line.”--Publishers Weekly “Wildly exuberant, full of slapstick and mischief, this version of an enduring Nigerian trickster tale, featuring a clever rabbit, is a storyteller’s delight.”--Booklist

Customer Reviews:

He is not big. He is not strong. He is fan-freakin-tastic.......2004-06-23

Is there any higher praise an author/illustrator can receive than to hear a reviewer say, "Well, I never really loved anything else this person did, but I think this book is bloody brilliant"? Probably. But I for one feel that Gerald McDermott (who I've always respected but never felt any real affection for) really hit the nail on the head with this book. "Zomo" has the near impossible task of being both amusing and informative. So many African folktales relayed in children's picture books end up being a little dry and dated. For example, the book "Zomo" most resembles in plot is, "A Story, A Story" by G. Haley. Yet that book is a dour dull creation when compared to this amazing little concoction. This is a book that every child should read at least once in their lives.

As you open the book you see a clever little rabbit all decked out in kinte cloth. The text reads, "Zomo! Zomo the rabbit. He is not big. He is not strong. But he is very clever". When Zomo decides that being clever is not enough and that he wants wisdom as well he quickly requests it from the Sky God. To attain wisdom's secrets, the Sky God commands Zomo to fetch him the scales of Big Fish of the sea, the milk of Wild Cow, and the tooth of Leopard. Zomo immediately sets out to fulfill these tasks. For the fish he plays a catchy tune on his drum, so entrancing the sea dwelling creature that it dances its scales off. The Wild Cow is lured into a tree and, while stuck, Zomo milks it. As for Leopard, some of the slippery scales dropped into slippery milk cause the feline to slip and knock out a tooth. When Zomo presents these items to the Sky God he is instantly told that wisdom consists of courage, good sense, and caution. Zomo has thus far had the first two, but now with three new enemies he should exercise the last for a while.

I think what I loved best about this book was Zomo himself. This is a remarkable thing too. Too often the cocky hero of a tale (especially a trickster tale) is too brash and self-important to garner any real love from the reader. But Zomo's different. He's sprightly and a joy to follow. From the geometric patterns of his face to the energetic dancing of his little black furry feet, he's a pure pleasure to watch. The illustrations themselves are so bright and cheery it puts such similarly colorful stories like, "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" to shame. But best of all is the narration. I've given you the first sentence of the book, but the rest reads just as well. It's catchy and delightfully placed upon each and every page.

Some books you pick up and groan when your kids want you to read them forty or fifty times in a row. Other books you wish they'd ask you sixty or seventy times more. "Zomo" is in the latter category. A fun filled romp with a delightful West African base, the book is one of the best I've ever had the pleasure to peruse. Highly recommended from here to the sky and back.

Do you think Zomo the Rabbit is Bugs Bunny's ancestor?.......2004-05-28

One of the universal figures in mythology is the trickster, from Hermes of classical mythology to Iktomi of the Indians of the American plains. Zomo the Rabbit is an example of an animal trickster and is often at the center of many of the traditional tales of West Africa, while other cultures tell similar stories about the Spider and the Tortoise using guile and trickery to outwit their larger foes.

In "Zomo the Rabbit: A Trickster Tale from West Africa" Gerald McDermott knows that he is clever but wishes to acquire wisdom. But before he can earn wisdom the Sky God gives him three impossible tasks and requires Zomo to bring him the scales of Big Fish in the sea, the milk of Wild Cow, and the tooth of Leopard. The question is whether Zomo's cleverness can make up for the fact that the is not big and he is not strong. Well, of course, he can, but that does not necessarily mean that gaining wisdom will make his life any easier out in the jungle.

McDermott's colorful artwork is influenced by African designs and he tells the tale with simple, rhythmic language that will appeal to the youngest of readers. The author and illustrator has been studying the trickster motif in folklore and mythology for some time, having earned a Caldecott Honor for "Anansi the Spider," another tale from Africa. "Zomo the Rabbit" will obviously remind many young readers of another rascally rabbit, which will help establish the idea that the trickster has been around for a long time in many different, but similar, guises.

Unique vibrant illustrations.......2004-03-16

Zomo is a rabbit who is "clever" but wants "wisdom" so goes to SkyGod, who tells him he must do "three impossible things:" bring him "the scales of Big Fish in the sea, "the milk of Wild Cow" and "the tooth of leopard." Zomo tricks the fish into dancing to his drumbeat until his scales fall off, tricks the cow into ramming the palm tree until she's stuck so he can milk her (reminds me of Brer Rabbit and Sis Cow), and then trips the leopard on the slippery scales and milk to get the tooth. Unique, vividly colored illustrations accompany the simple story. I will say I don't quite get the ending where he earns wisdom, and all he does with it is run very fast (wasn't he doing that already?). Overall however, the illustrations and clever rabbit make a great story for my toddler.

McDermott Masterful Again.......2000-04-26

With Zomo the Rabbit : A Trickster Tale from Africa, Gerald McDermott demonstrates again why he is our favorite when it comes to children's books. The tale is clever. The illustrations are spectacular, as always. McDermott's books are the favorites of my 7-year old, who reads them over and over again. My 2-year old also loves them.

Trickster's Choice (Daughter of the Lioness Book 1)

Average customer rating:

Older & Wiser?
Almost total waist of time
Short & Sweet
a new kind of legend
very boring

Trickster's Choice (Daughter of the Lioness Book 1)
Tamora Pierce
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0375814663
Release Date: 2003-09-23

Amazon.com

To the great joy of her many fans, Tamora Pierce with this book begins a new saga of Tortall to add to The Song of the Lioness Quartet, the Immortals Quartet, and The Protector of the Small tetralogy. At the center of each of these books is always a strong and resourceful young woman who masters the arts of swordplay and knightly warfare in the magical medieval country of Tortall. Alianne, or Aly, daughter of the warrior queen Alanna the Lioness, has all these skills, but also a delicious sense of humor, which serves her well when she is chosen by the trickster god Kyprioth to serve as his secret agent and a slave for a year in the embattled Copper Isles. There the dark-skinned natives, or raka, have been conquered and crushed by the laurin, light-skinned people from the mainland. The burning raka resentment is fueled by prophecies of a twice royal queen who will free them, aided by the "wise one, the cunning one, the strong one, the warrior, and the crows." Just how each of the colorful characters and Aly herself fit into this prophecy and Kyprioth's tricky plan keeps readers guessing. Aly plots to show her skill at spying as she flirts with the god and is courted by Nawat, a crow transformed into a handsome young man, who is puzzled when she rejects his attempts to mate-feed her with grubs and ants.

The pages of this long but fast-paced adventure zip by, enlivened by intrigue, skirmishes, comedy, romance, and lots of dramatic clothes. (Ages 10 to 14) --Patty Campbell

Book Description

Tamora Pierce brings readers another Tortall adventure! Alianne is the teenage daughter of the famed Alanna, the first lady knight in Tortall. Young Aly follows in the quieter footsteps of her father, however, delighting in the art of spying. When she is captured and sold as a slave to an exiled royal family in the faraway Copper Islands, it is this skill that makes a difference in a world filled with political intrigue, murderous conspiracy, and warring gods. This is the first of two books featuring Alianne.

Download Description

Tamora Pierce brings readers another Tortall adventure!

Alianne is the teenage daughter of the famed Alanna, the first lady knight in Tortall. Young Aly follows in the quieter footsteps of her father, however, delighting in the art of spying. When she is captured and sold as a slave to an exiled royal family in the faraway Copper Islands, it is this skill that makes a difference in a world filled with political intrigue, murderous conspiracy, and warring gods. This is the first of two books featuring Alianne.

Customer Reviews:

Older & Wiser?.......2007-09-27

I must admit that I was lax to read Tamora's new series because I am usually disappointed by author's new writings -- but I must say that Tamora has impressed me again and again with this new series.

First of all, I think her writing has changed age groups. I know that it's recommended for the same as her others series (middle school and up), but I think that this series will appeal to adults as much as children, and maybe less to some of the younger ones. (Do not fear; any die hard children fans of Tamora will appreciate and love this novel as her others, I'm sure.) Her writing is more intricate in this book, more detailed, aimed on a girl who is more of a woman from the start. While Alanna's & company (Daine, Kel) took place when they were far younger, Aly is 16 in this book. I think that it sets off at a place where more mature thoughts / actions / plots can be established, and in this case, very believable.

This novel is well crafted. Tamora does a wonderful job of fleshing out the characters, though for the first chapter or two, you may fumble with all the names. By chapter five though, at the latest, she has made them all seem very life like.

I also enjoyed how real Aly was. She is not the ultimate spy. She messes up just like any other, and she is still a child in some ways. I must also admit that her views on flirting are so amusing, I was grinning through a lot of the book. I do wish Aly had more interactions with Nawat, in general. He's a fun character, and he seems to randomly appear and disappear for pages, which was annoying.

It was also good to hear about Uncle 'Numy' and Aunt Daine, as well as seeing more of George and Alanna (though they are by far minor compared to other characters in these series).

It should be noted that this series is not as magic based as her other ones have been. This is more like Kel's than like Daine's, because Daine was very magic centered. Aly is more about politics, relationships, how people interact, and about a young woman trying to find herself. If it sounds cliche, oh well.

I would recommend this to all who have any interest in Tamora Pierce's previous novels, as well as Kushiel's Dart. While this is not a sexy plot twister like Kushiel, it is an easier, lighter read of the same line of thought. Yes, that is a compliment. :)

I cannot wait for my order of Trickster's Queen to arrive!

Almost total waist of time.......2007-08-16

Other than this book being boring but slightly good, the characters were awful!! Don't waist your time reading it. It has a dumb choice of words and the characters are ill-described and have the most stupid of lines

Short & Sweet.......2007-08-10

My applause to both Tamora Pierce for an excellent story and Trini Alvarado for bringing it to life. An excellent series for those long rides home.

For you Book Reviewer Want-To-Bees, please keep it to a paragraph or two, you tell to much and help no one.

a new kind of legend.......2007-08-06

Alianne of Pirate's Swoop is a new kind of heroine, one you either like or dislike. She is a heroine who works primarily with her mind, not her body. Where other Pierce heroines, such as Alanna (of the SONG OF THE LIONESS series), Keladry (of the PROTECTOR OF THE SMALL quartet) and even Daine (of the IMMORTALS quartet) worked mainly with their fighting or magical ability, Aly, lacking in too much of either, uses her smarts and that is why she has taken Daine's place as my favorite Pierce heroine to date.

In Trickster's Choice, after running away from being her mother's latest project, Aly is captured by pirates and sold into slavery on the Copper Isles. Her new masters, the Balitang family, are among the good ones and, next thing she knows, Aly has made a deal with the Trickster God of the Isles, Kyprioth: if she keeps the two Balitang girls, Dovasary and Saraiyu, alive through the summer, he will let her go home and convince her father to let Aly do the one thing Aly wants in life: spy. What follows is a story of political intrigue and adorable crow-boys that is both entertaining and intelligent.

Although Pierce throws a lot of names around that are hard to get straight (and, at times, pronounce), the story is not too affected by it. Aly thinks on her feet and meets every difficulty with a spirit and fierceness that would make her mother, the Lioness, proud. She also finds a bit of a romance with Nawat Crow, a crow-turned-man who takes an immediate liking to Aly after Kyprioth commissions the crows to help her with her side of the bargain.

Nawat's ignorance of human culture and eagerness to court Aly are entertaining and amusing, as well as his ignorance of his human form's attractiveness to other girls (specifically Sarai, who gives him the opportunity to ogle her hips, but Nawat is too busy staring at Aly to notice). I find the two of them to be highly adorable, as is Aly's determination not to let her feelings for Nawat distract her from her duty. The cute little moment between George, Aly, and Nawat at the end of the book is quite enjoyable as well.

All in all, Trickster's Choice was a great read, which not only entertains, but challenges you to think, and watching Pierce's smartest heroine yet weave in and out of the political dangers was a real treat. I look forward to buying and reading Trickster's Queen.

very boring.......2007-08-04

This book bored me to death. Aliane seems a bit stuck up in my opinion. Also, Tamora Pierce wrote her to be perfect at just about everything she does. Aliane's character seems way too unrealistic for my taste; I like to be able to relate somewhat to the characters, personally. plus it feels sort of rushed, and at the same time very slow paced. Nothing much exciting happens during most of the book; it's just about how perfectly Aliane came figure things out to protect the Balitang family. AND nothing ever seems to phase Aly; not even when she's taken and sold as a slave. She's just all "Oh it's no big deal, I'll just get away once I'm sold 'cause im so smart." Seriously, that's how she acts most of the time. This book is no where near as good as Tamora's last books. Lucky for me I only checked the book out from the library; I'd suggest that if you're interested in this book that you do the same.

Trickster Travels: A Sixteenth-Century Muslim Between Worlds

Average customer rating:

ok for what it is
Fascinating Man, Boring Book
Did you really buy this book?
The charged politics and turmoil of his life and times brings history to life
Fascinating but Frustrating

Trickster Travels: A Sixteenth-Century Muslim Between Worlds
Natalie Zemon Davis
Manufacturer: Hill and Wang
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0809094355
Release Date: 2007-03-06

Book Description

"[A] fascinating tale of a man forced . . . to live between incompatible worlds. Highly recommended." --Library Journal

Al-Hasan al-Wazzan—born in Granada to a Muslim family that in 1492 went to Morocco—became famous as the great Renaissance writer Leo Africanus, author of the first geography of Africa to be published in Europe (in 1550). He had been captured by Christian pirates in the Mediterranean and imprisoned by the pope; when he was released and baptized, he lived a European life of scholarship as the Christian writer Giovanni Leone; by 1527, it is likely that he returned to North Africa and to the language, culture, and faith in which he had been raised. Natalie Zemon Davis offers a virtuoso study of the fragmentary, partial, and often contradictory traces that al-Hasan al-Wazzan left behind him, and a superb interpretation of his extraordinary life and work.

Customer Reviews:

ok for what it is.......2007-03-02

This book isn't really history or biography for that matter. Its an in-between kind of book that wants to imagine a past into existance based on speculation rather than evidence or fact. The factual details of the life of Leo Africanus would make a chapter. And even the facts we do have about his life are colored by a particular point of view which has to be questioned.

Natalie Davis does her best based on all sorts of other material to imagine a public and private life for the man. As speculative fiction, it works. The only problem being that ignorant readers will begin to take this book as if were fact rather than a created story. The fault I find is that the book doesn't draw enough distinction about what is being imagined versus the actual facts of his life.

The book is very good, but its not history or biography and should not be read as history or biography.

Fascinating Man, Boring Book.......2007-01-21

To read a really excellent book about Leo The African, I recommend the far superior "Leo Africanus" by Amin Maalouf, a winner of several literary awards and an amazing book.

Did you really buy this book?.......2006-06-26

One star, there being no zero. While the wish to explore the subject is understandable, the outcome is confusing and boring. Read it if you want to find out how an interesting subject can become dull.

The charged politics and turmoil of his life and times brings history to life.......2006-06-23

TRICKSTER TRAVELS: A SIXTEENTH-CENTURY MUSLIM BETWEEN WORLDS could also have been featured in our 'travel' section for its fascinating travelogue entries; but is reviewed here for its value to any studying 1500s history. Al-Wazzan trveled widely as an ambassador and merchant throughout Africa in the early 1500s, was captured by Spanish pirates and presented to Pope Leo X, where he converted to Christianity while explaining Islam to his puzzled audience. The charged politics and turmoil of his life and times brings history to life, with history professor Davis using manuscripts of the times - including some previously unknown - to explore fully al-Wazzan's image and importance. Unfamiliar with his name? Try 'Leo Africanus', author of the first geography of Africa.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Fascinating but Frustrating.......2006-05-01

This book does its best to wipe the cobwebs off the figure generally known in the West as Leo Africanus, a man raised in Fez by a family displaced from Muslim Spain during the Christian conquest, who travels widely as a diplomat through Africa, and then is brought to Rome as a captive where he authors a number of fascinating books, including a book on Africa and his African travels. This is a meticulously researched book, replete with voluminous footnotes full of both detail and inciteful asides.

However, the book is doomed to fail in its central project from the outset: even after the author's diligent research and careful writing, Leo Africanus remains hidden behind the folds of cleo's gown. The underlying documentation of his life is simply too sparse. Too much of "Trickster" is too speculative. Too little of the book relies on quotations of the subject's own words. Too many threads are started but then reluctantly abandoned by Zemon-Davis because of unavailable or incomplete sources. Most of what survives today of Leo Africanus is simply his work, his books written in Rome, and getting beyond the work to the man himself may simply be beyond the ability of any historian.

However, Zemon-Davis is crystal clear throughout the book as to where she is speculating or supposing and where she has evidence, and what her evidence is, and she does incorporate a number of useful quotations. Every sentance of this book is the work of a truly diligent professional historian.

While failing in its central project, the book succeeds in helping us to visualize and understand key elements of the age, and Zemon-Davis does a great job (particuarly in those wonderful footnotes) of bringing to life both the life of an Andalusian family in Fez and the life of intellectual circles in 16th century Rome. Reading the book, I was struck on page after page with interesting thoughts and questions; the book truly sparked my curiosity. What of all those differing translations of Leo Africanus' work? What might they say about the societies in which they were written? What of all that poetry referenced by Leo Africanus? How did that Arabic poetic sensibility influence the Christian regions it touched? And What of those African civilizations he visited?

I am left wondering if this very good book Zemon-Davis has written might have been a truly great book if its focus shifted just slightly from this fascinating but inscrutable man, perhaps acknowledging and acceding to the limitations of the existing research material. Her title refers to "a sixteenth-century muslim between worlds", but it is the two worlds more than the subject himself that she best elucidates.

And so, despite its flaws, reading this book has been a pleasure, and I can recommend the book to others very highly, though I still suspect that had the author conceived the work as more of a history and less of biography, it just might have been a classic on the same scale as her "Return of Martin Guerre." And so I withhold the fifth star, and give this one a very solid four stars.

Trickster of Seville and the Stone Guest: Tirso De Molina (Hispanic Classics/Golden Age Drama)

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Trickster of Seville and the Stone Guest: Tirso De Molina (Hispanic Classics/Golden Age Drama)
Gwynne Edwards
Manufacturer: Aris & Phillips
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0856683019

Raven: A Trickster Tale from the Pacific Northwest

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Raven -Great childrens book
Raven
glorious, sumptuous and respectful
They ask to listen to it again and again!
Beautiful Illustrations

Raven: A Trickster Tale from the Pacific Northwest
Gerald McDermott
Manufacturer: Harcourt Children's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0152656618

Book Description

Raven, the Native American trickster, feels sorry for those who must live in darkness, and he decides to help. He flies over mountains, valleys, and lakes and discovers that light is being kept hidden inside the house of the Sky Chief. Using his cleverness, Raven finds a way to bring light to the world. “The physical environment, oral literature, and traditional life of the Pacific Coast Indians come alive in this amusing and well-conceived picture book.”--School Library Journal

Customer Reviews:

Raven -Great childrens book.......2007-06-26

A classic Native American tale with brightly colored pictures.I have searched for this book for several years to replace an old worn copy.
I was very excited to find it through Amazon.

Raven.......2005-03-25

Raven the trickser wants to give people the gift of light.
Raven gives light but you have to read the book to find out what else happens.

glorious, sumptuous and respectful.......2003-07-12

I get antsy when Native American themes and stories appear in children's books. Too often they reek of cultural misappropriation.

But this beautiful book--gorgeous watercolor backgrounds to the Northwest Native American-style imagery--feels respectful, and does a great telling of a favorite Tlingit Haida tale of how light came into the world.

The illustration of the morphing of the Sky Chief's spoiled grandson back into Raven is particularly effective.And when Raven fills the sky with the sun in his beak, it's very easy to buy into this story as a valid creation myth.

I've now bought three copies of this book for various pre-schoolers I know, and all my grown-up friensd who've seen this book have fallen in love with it, too. This is a definite winner, bound to become as classic in its own way as Robert McCloskey's ``Blueberries for Sal.''

They ask to listen to it again and again!.......2000-01-03

The children in my Pre-K class cannot get enough of this book. The magic of the illustrations and the text has them mesmerized. Many times, when we have finished reading the story, they want to here it again!

Beautiful Illustrations.......1999-07-01

This is a wonderful book! My daughter and I really enjoyed the way that this tale was re-told and the illustrations were beautiful!

Blade Of The Immortal Volume 15: Trickster (Blade of the Immortal (Graphic Novels))

Average customer rating:

If I didn't think it deserved a 5, I wouldn't keep buying them

Blade Of The Immortal Volume 15: Trickster (Blade of the Immortal (Graphic Novels))
Hiroaki Samura
Manufacturer: Dark Horse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1593074689

Book Description

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If I didn't think it deserved a 5, I wouldn't keep buying them.......2007-01-04

This is a great series. Violent manga is not usually my bag, but Samura makes it so darn beautiful. I was lured by the art, but got hooked on the characters. It's pulp fiction in feudal Japan. It's a good read with plenty of spreads to really linger on and soak up. I'm a little disturbed by some of it but it's intoxicating at the same time. It's the cliche of the Train Wreck. Read it once and you'll know what I mean.

Four Archetypes: Mother, Rebirth, Spirit, Trickster (Routledge Classics)

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Four Archetypes: Mother, Rebirth, Spirit, Trickster (Routledge Classics)
C.G. Jung
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0415304415

Book Description

Extracted from Volume 9, Part I. Includes "Psychological Aspects of the Mother Archetype," "Concerning Rebirth," "The Phenomenology of the Spirit in Fairytales," and "On the Psychology of the Trickster-Figure."

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