Westchester Library System

This is the second presentation of the award which was established in 1992 and is given every two years.

Bryan, Ashley THE OX OF THE WONDERFUL HORNS AND OTHER AFRICAN FOLKTALES
Atheneum
"Listen, let me tell the story of Frog Kumbuto who married two wives." Bryan invites us in his typically conversationally language. This lively collection of five short folk tales from a variety of African vultures was originally published in 1971, yet this attractive volume retains its appeal with wry, direct telling of timeless tales. Among the offerings are an Anansi story, a tale of a trickster tortoise, and the antecedents of both "The Black Bull of Norroway" and "The Tiger and the Rabbit."

Davis, Donald JACK ALWAYS SEEKS HIS FORTUNE
August House
Jack romps through tales retold by the only author to receive consecutive Anne Izard Awards. "There was a time when I was convinced (Jack) was a boy who surely lived around the mountain from my grandmother’s house, " writes Davis who grew up on Jack tales told by family and friends in his native Appalachia. Found in oral traditions throughout the world, Jack represents each one of us as he seeks to find a mate, earn a living and subdue his foes by wit, sheer luck or however best he can.

Fleischman, Paul BULL RUN
Laura Geringer/Harpercollins
This Newbery Award winning author gives voice to sixteen diverse characters whose lives were indelibly touched by the battle at Bull Run. We meet, among others, a fife player who loses his innocence, an enlisted African American fighting as a ‘white’ soldier, a Minnesota farm girl lonely for her enlisted brother, a heart-sick doctor, and frustrated commanders from both sides. Whether a storyteller chooses to simply tell one or several characters’ stories, or to present al l the characters as readers’ theater, this historical novel offers an array of stories which takes us directly into the heart and soul of a nation being torn apart by war.

Goble, Paul LOVE FLUTE
Bradbury Press
Several sacred versions from Plains Indian cultures are woven together in this story which explains how the birds and animals gave the first love flute to a shy young man. Though he despaired of winning the woman he loved, in learning to echo the songs of the animals and then to create his own melodies, the young man touched and won the heart of his beloved. Simply told, yet wonderfully evocative, this story speaks of the power of music – a power beyond words which communicates both deeply and truly.

Hearne, Betsy BEAUTIES AND BEASTS
Oryx Press
Twenty-seven stories containing ‘beauty and beast’ motifs are assembled by Hearne. While each is interesting in its own right, they are even more interesting in relation to one another. Perhaps the most valuable portion of this book is the essay. "In the Dark with Disney" in which Hearne elucidates why the popular animated film is less satisfying psychologically than the folktales which inspired it. There is much food for thought in this book that is simultaneously lively and learned

Kimmel, Eric THE SPOTTED PONY: A COLLECTION OF HANUKKAH STORIES
Holiday House
Eight tales, one for each night of Hanukkah, make this a fine collection for families celebrating either the holiday itself or Jewish traditions throughout the year. The tales feature foolish Chelmites, wise rabbis, sagacious King Solomon and that clever trickster, Herschel of Ostropol in a collection of winsome and engaging tales.

McDermott, Gerald ZOMO, THE RABBIT
Harcourt Brace
The clever, fleet footed Zomo, an African cousin of Brer Rabbit, is able t outsmart his more dangerous opponents to ultimately gain the wisdom he seeks from Sky God. Caldecott Award winner, Gerald McDermott takes a tale with may levels of subtle complexity and manages the remarkable feat of telling it in language so simple, streamlined and powerful that it will capture the imaginations of you and old alike.

Pelton, Mary Helen and Jacqueline DiGennaro IMAGES OF A PEOPLE: TLINGIT MYTHS AND LEGENDS
Libraries Unlimited
After years of painstaking research, the authors respectfully present Tlingit tales, illuminating the stories by placing them within a wealth of material on the history, social structures, religious beliefs and art of the Tlingits of Alaska. This is a valuable source for more than twenty stories from an indomitable people whose voices have not often been heard within the contiguous states. It provides a fascinating window into a way of life that has much to teach those who live in less formidable circumstance.

Reneaux, J. J. CAJUN FOLKTALES
August House
Having grown up "Cajun for true", Reneaux fills this spicy gumbo of tales from rural southeastern Texas and southern Louisiana with the unmistakable joie de vivre that is the spirit of Cajun life. Sometimes sly, sometimes scary, sometimes fanciful, these tales tell of a time when "Kings came to live on bayous (and) Princesses ate couche-couchez" This great taste of folklore is unique in American culture.

Walker, Barbara THE ART OF THE TURKISH TALE: VOLUME TWO
Texas Tech University Press
Thought comprising but a fraction of Walker’s work in collecting Turkish folklore, this volume is a treasure trove for storytellers. Eighty narratives include variants of European stories, pourquoi tales, Islamic saints’ legends, riddles, supernatural tales and humorous anecdotes. Culled from over three thousand stories recorded over a lifetime of collecting, Walker’s selections are enlightening as well as entertaining.

Walsh, Jill Paton MATTHEW AND THE SEA SINGER
Farrar Straus Giroux
The orphan Matthew sings so beautifully birds stop their tunes to hear him and seals gather on rocks below the church to listen when he sings on Sundays. When Matthew goes missing, his friend Birdy realizes h’s been stolen by the seal-folk and she with the seal queen for Matthew’s return. Walsh’s lilting language and deft description make her original tale a pleasure to hear.

Williamson, Duncan TALES OF THE SEAL PEOPLE
Interlink
Drawn from the heart of Scottish tradition, Duncan Williamson offers fourteen Selkie stories collected over a lifetime of working, traveling and befriending Gaelic speaking people in remote, coastal areas of Scotland and the outlying Hebrides Islands. Williamson notes, "These stories were never made...they were just 'something strange'..that acutally took place. It was family history, that's" the truth."

Zeitland, Steve J., Lamy J. Kotkin & Holly cutting Baker. A CELEBRATION OF AMERICAN FAMILY FOLKLORE
Yellow Moon Press
For four summers beginning in 1974, thousands of people told stories about their families while attending the festival of American Folklife in Washington, D.C. This book grew out of those interviews and the result is a collection of tales which are rich in humor, pathos and inspiration. The authors encourage readers to search out their own family tales with suggestions on how to do so. This reissued book is a splendid compilation with wide-ranging appeal.