Epossumondas Plays Possum

Be the first to write a review

Want to read this on your NOOK? Request as NOOK Book from the publisher

Thank you for requesting this book as a NOOK book from the publisher.

Customers Who Bought This Also Bought

More About This Book

Overview
Editorial Reviews
Product Details
Meet the Author

Advertising

Overview

Epossumondas is the silliest, most lovable possum south of the Mason-Dixon line. In his fourth book, will he still be his mama’s sweet little patootie if he heads into the swamp, just where Mama told him not to go? After all, the swamp is home to the fearsome and legendary loup-garou! Epossumondas isn’t a naughty possum, but he sure is forgetful, and into the swamp he goes. There he meets all manner of scary creatures—but are any of them the loup-garou? And will he ever make it home to Mama? Maybe he will, as long as he remembers to do what possums do best: play possum.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

In the late Salley's last picture book, the fourth to feature Epossumondas and his Mama, Mama warns the possum to steer clear of the swamp because the dreaded “loup-garou snatches [possums] right up with its big ugly claws!” But Epossumondas follows a butterfly into the eerie swamplands, where a series of threatening animals pass by Epossumondas, who plays dead. Rich with Southern flavor—when Epossumondas returns from the swamp, Mama exclaims, “You don't have the sense you were born with! You gotta run away from those fearsome critters, too!”—it's an immersive piece of storytelling. Ages 3–7. (Oct.)

Children's Literature

Epossumondas, the cuddly but somewhat dim possum hero of Salley's tales from the South, has been warned by his mama to stay out of the swamp. There, she says, "waiting for little possums like you" is the dreaded loup-garou, ready to snatch. But Epossumondas cannot resist following a beautiful butterfly right into the swamp. Lost, he hears the scary snarl, "Rrrrrrrrrr!" of what may be the loup-garou. He does what possums do best: play dead. The creature moves on, disinterested. What we see is a swamp cat that our hero dismisses as nothing compared to the dreaded loup-garou. He deals the same way with the "Ssssssss!" of a snake and the "Snort!" of a hog. Picked up by a buzzard, he is too ticklish to play dead, and the bird drops him. When he is finally found and embraced by his loving mama, she is shocked to hear of his encounters, but glad that her "clever little patootie" had the sense to do what he was trained to do. We can almost hear the voice of the storyteller in the vernacular of the humorous text. Stevens introduces the possum pair on the book's cover, showing Mama in her flowered hat, print dress and blue-framed glasses, smiling down on her diapered anthropomorphic darling. The end pages, smothered in Mama's flowers, carry on the happy feeling. On the title page spread, the two sit on the porch almost dwarfed by woodsy swamp. They come alive in Stevens' mixed media art, which is illustrated "with selected effects created with the brushes of Obsidian Dawn" in the adventures on the large double-page spreads. A note adds information on both possums and the loup-garou. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz

More Reviews (2) Fewer Reviews

School Library Journal

K-Gr 4—In this series, a diapered possum child with a human mama reenacts Southern folktales with flair and gusto. Here, Mama warns the little guy to stay out of the swamp, where the scary loup-garou awaits. Distracted by a pretty butterfly, Epossumondas enters the swamp anyway. He never meets the werewolf, but he encounters one dangerous predator after another. Luckily, instinct kicks in and he plays possum, thus being rejected by creatures who "don't eat no dead meat." When a carcass-eating buzzard comes along, Epossumondas is saved by his own ticklishness—the horrified bird drops him, crying "I never, ever eat no live meat!" The folksy text lives and breathes like a storytelling performance. Epossumondas and his mama have so much character that this unlikely family is quite believable. The sketchy, mixed-media illustrations convey the humor of the antics while providing a fairly realistic depiction of Louisiana swampland and its inhabitants. As always, Stevens has portrayed Epossumondas's mama as a Salley double, bringing the storyteller into her own tale. Funny, scary, and clever, this story has everything it needs for broad kid appeal.—Heidi Estrin, Feldman Children's Library at Congregation B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, FL

Kirkus Reviews

That adorable diaper-clad scalawag is back, doing what he does best. Mama cautions Epossumondas not to go into the swamp where the horrible loup-garou could snatch him right up. But when a pretty butterfly flies by, Epossumondas can't help himself and runs after it-right into the swamp, where he promptly gets lost. Each time he hears a scary snarl, hiss or snort, he plays possum and the swamp critters leave him alone because they "don't eat no dead meat." When the swamp buzzard snatches him up, though, Epossumondas squirms, and the bird promptly drops him saying, "I never, ever eat no live meat." When Mama finds her "clever little patootie," they head home for sweet tea. As in the previous three books, Stevens's comical, mixed-media illustrations depict Mama as the spittin' image of the late Salley, and the telling has her storytelling rhythm and voice, as well as her vivid personality. It's a fitting tribute that her last book finds her baby winking at the audience while playing dead. Farewell, Epossumondas; we'll miss you. (author's note) (Picture book. 4-8)

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780152064204
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication date: 10/19/2009
Format: Library Binding
Pages: 40
Sales rank: 353,496
Age range: 4 - 8 Years
Lexile: AD620L (what's this?)
Product dimensions: 10.20 (w) x 10.50 (h) x 0.50 (d)

Meet the Author

COLEEN SALLEY was a professor of children's literature for thirty years and now travels widely as a professional storyteller. The old tale of "Epaminondas" is her trademark; her variation on this story appears in print for the first time as Epossumondas. A native Southerner, she lives in the French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana.

JANET STEVENS is the author and illustrator of many popular and award-winning books for children, including the Caldecott Honor Book Tops & Bottoms, the Texas Bluebonnet winner Cook-a-Doodle-Doo!, and the Texas Bluebonnet nominee And The Dish Ran Away with the Spoon. She also illustrated To Market, To Market by Anne Miranda, an ABBY Honor Book. She lives in Boulder, Colorado.

Customer Reviews

Be the first to write a review

( 0 )

Rating Distribution

5 Star

(0)

4 Star

(0)

3 Star

(0)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines

Tell the world what you think of this product.

Add Recommendations

Your Name: Create a Pen Name or Leave Anonymously

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

- HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
- Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
- Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
- Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
- Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
- Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
- Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

- By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
- Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
- See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.

If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble

Epossumondas Plays Possum

Overview

Customers Who Bought This Also Bought

More About This Book

Overview

Related Subjects

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

Children's Literature

School Library Journal

Kirkus Reviews

Product Details

Meet the Author

Customer Reviews

Rating Distribution

5 Star

4 Star

3 Star

2 Star

1 Star

Your Rating:

Your Recommendations:

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

What to exclude from your review:

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

Reminder:

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!