STORIES AT THE DOOR
by Jan Andrews & illustrated by Francis Blake
Canadian yarnspinner Andrews offers tellable Anglicized versions of six lighthearted folktales drawn from diverse traditions. Though several feature familiar elements, such as a lad who can herd hares with the aid of a magic whistle or a haunted house in which body parts tumble down the chimney at night, reworked details give every entry a distinctive character. At least two have the potential to become storytime favorites: “Jacinthe Wins Words,” in which a generous sister and an ungenerous one both receive just deserts from their farts, and “Jane Saves The Day,” about a clever servant who outwits a dangerously workaholic genie. Blake’s blotchy, broadly comic cartoons illustrate both the stories themselves and the short welcome poems that open each one. Good source notes cap a better-than-average collection. (Folktales. 10-12)