Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly
Lester juxtaposes a contemporary voice and settings (like shopping malls) with some dialect in these "wonderfully funny folktales," said PW. "For many purists, though, it will not replace the original stories." Ages 8-up. (Jan.)
School Library Journal
Gr 2 Up Recent retellings of Joel Chandler Harris' African-American folktales from former slaves have pruned the dialect and leave out Uncle Remus all together. Most notable of these is Jump!: the Adventures of Brer Rabbit (HBJ, 1986). This newest attempt brings together two distinguished children's book creators in a most unusual recreation. Lester has retold 48 of the folktales in standard English but with a strong feel for the dialect of the original stories. His retellings are as lively as the originals but they also have a liveliness of their own, as he incorporates modern allusions which never seem out of place. Even more importantly, he uses the sharp, witty Uncle Remus who narrated the original folktales, and not the more servile character from the opening and closing segments who many found offensive. Pinkney's illustrations are mostly black-and-white sketches with some full-color double-page spreads. They do not have the sass of the original A. B. Frost illustrations, but they are filled with strong interest and a great humor which serves the text well. This will be of great interest to school and public libraries as well as to storytellers as a source which gives new life to an American classic. Kay McPherson, Central Atlanta-Fulton Public Library
APR/MAY 02 - AudioFile
Like fairy tales and fables, THE TALES OF UNCLE REMUS are classic stories retold periodically to introduce them to a new generation. Julius Lester’s version does a wonderful job of recreating the characters we know and love--Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox, Brer Wolf, Brer Bear, Mr. Man, etc.--while adding humor and contemporary commentary to the traditional stories, such as “Brer Rabbit and the Tar Baby.” Lester captures the slow rhythm of rural Southern life--lazy hot days and cool, lively evenings--as the animals strive to coexist. Lester’s characterizations, with just the right combination of Southern dialect and Black English, bring the quick-witted Brer Rabbit, and his friends and foes, to life in these timeless stories. W.L.S. © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine
