Aunt Nancy and the Bothersome Visitors

Gr 14"Aunt Nancy and Old Man Trouble" (1996) and "Aunt Nancy and Cousin Lazybones" (1998, both Candlewick) are two of the four stories in this collection. In the other two, the protagonist encounters Old Woeful, who has a little rain cloud hanging over her head, and Mister Death, a skeleton who wears a ruffly white shirtfront and carries a big gold watch. Parkins begins each selection with a full-color, full-page illustration done in oil and then uses droll silhouettes of Aunt Nancy, her cat Ezekiel, and the visitors to dramatize the action. In sentences such as "I'd be pleased as petunias to help].These-here dishes ain't but half dirty," the folksy dialect and colorful similes evoke another time and place. Root says, "Aunt Nancy is my grandmother and auntswomen who never let the world get the better of themall rolled into one." While chapter-book readers will enjoy this fun offering, adults will have a fine time reading it aloud, exaggerating the language and hearing the laughter of their young audiences. Pair it with any of the Anansi stories or Jack tales for a meaningful exploration of traditional tricksters."Mary Jean Smith, Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN" Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.