Mountain Jack tales (Dutton, c1992, ISBN 0525449744); as told and illus. by Haley
These stories featuring the hero Jack are set in the mountains of North Carolina, but have their roots in Old World folklore. The illustrations are wood engravings.
A short video with gail E. Haley dressed as Poppy from the stories:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=xRqOwQpnYwY
REVIEWS
“In a lucid, vibrant voice, Caldecott Medalist Haley (A Story, A Story) recounts stories which originate in the rugged North Carolina mountain country . . . Haley’s use of metaphor, hyperbole and dialect captures the playful spirit of mountain lore. Her emotive elaborate wood engravings—as well as her afterwords about the stories, the art and the language itself—enrich this buoyant anthology.” Publishers Weekly
“[Haley’s] spirited retellings are salted with backwoods language . . . and illustrated with wood engravings that . . . are full of energy, comedy, and magical creatures.”
Kirkus Review
“Haley retells nine Jack tales in this collection that provides a kind of sequel to her Jack and the Bean Tree (Crown, 1986). Once again, she uses Poppyseed, a mountain woman, to provide the framework for the stories. The selections come from Haley’s grandmother, and have changed over time as she herself has heard versions from other countries and from such mountain tellers as Ray Hicks. The origins and influences on her stories are discussed in an afterword, as is the process of creating the art . . . the stories feature a North Carolina dialect (a glossary is provided. . . . Young readers will find these offerings accessible; older children, teachers, and storytellers will appreciate Haley’s background information and may incorporate it into their own oral tellings.”
School Library Journal
Lauren Peterson, in her Booklist review, had nothing but praise for Haley’s self-illustrated work, commenting that the author’s “Bold and colorful acrylic paintings … create a rich visual backdrop against which this compelling story unfolds.”
