The Boo Baby Girl: Meets the Ghost of Mable's Gable

by Jim May

Overview

Horror overcome by humor in a classic tale retold by a modern storyteller

Something of a quest story for the picture book set, this playful horror tale sets young protagonists against “the Ghost of of Mable’s Gable.”  In Jim May’s version of a story from children’s folklore, eighth grade boys swagger but fail, only to be followed by outdone by an unlikely heroine, “the Boo Baby Girl,” a toddler who will not be denied.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781624910326
Publisher:	Parkhurst Brothers Publishers Inc
Publication date:	04/17/2014
Edition description:	1st Edition
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.30(w) x 9.30(h) x 0.10(d)
Age Range:	5 - 12 Years

About the Author

Jim May lives in Spring Grove, Illinois where his family has lived since 1849. Raised in this small German-Catholic farming community, he writes and tells stories that resonate with the rural voices of the Illinois prairie. His ancestors said they were "visiting" when telling stories.  Stories were an integral part of daily life—a means of weaving the social fabric of the community. An Emmy Award-winning storyteller and author, Jim seeks to re-establish live storytelling as an art form, ideal not only for entertainment and education, but also for the grounding and healing that is needed in complex, modern times.
 
For centuries telling and listening to stories has been a way for people to enjoy and cherish one another's company. Jim says, “When I tell a story I try to entertain and delight, but also to capture, for a few moments, the kind of direct, soul-to-soul communication that we have all experienced at some time in our lives under the 'spell' of a story.”
 
A touring storyteller, Jim May has been featured across the USA and Europe, performing at schools, conferences, professional groups, and festivals. Chicagoans know him from his appearances on WGN's Roy Leonard Show and from the Studs Terkel radio show on WFMT-FM. He received a 1989 Chicago Emmy award for a WTTW-Channel 11 production of his original story, "A Bell For Shorty." More recently, Jim has helped businesses shape their stories for communication in a changing world.

A favorite performer at the National Storytelling Festival, Jim May has received one of American storytelling’s highest honors, the National Storytelling Network’s Circle of Excellence award.

Interviews

I was drawn to this story because of its humor, it’s child-protagonist (a tough little girl toddler), its popularity in an earlier, simpler form among school groups I visited, and the idea of introducing mock-heroic eighth grade boys to heighten both the drama and the humor of my own version.  Young audiences responded positively to my additions to the story, and withShawn Finley’s vibrant, colorful illustrations, it became a success as a picture book.  I am grateful for Parkhurst Brothers’ new edition which my mail indicates will be enjoyed by a new generation of picture book lovers.

Editorial Reviews

"You could call Jim May a modern-day Homer if the Greek had told stories about farm life."

The Chicago Sun-Times

"Jim May tells stories in the fine tradition of Mark Twain and Will Rogers."

Farm Journal Magazine Jim Ritchie

"Jim May is a master storyteller."

Studs Terkel