Duppy Talk: West Indian Tales of Mystery and Magic

by Gerald Hausman

Overview

A unique collection of authentic West Indian ghost stories. The tales feature a shadow-catching obeah man, a Caribbean bush doctor, a magician, a mermaid, and the folklorist Gerald Hausman, who seeks the strange and bizarre in the forests of Jamaica where he is working as a school teacher. The author presents duppies or ghosts in a way that is mysterious, suspenseful, as well as humorous and magical. Whether you're looking for history or just island atmosphere, this book delivers spine-tingling and amusing folklore.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940013294387
Publisher:	Irie Books
Publication date:	10/24/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	102
File size:	59 KB
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Gerald Hausmman is the winner of the Aesop Accolade award given by the Children's Section of the American Folklore Society. The author of over 70 books, Mr. Hausman is an accomplished storyteller whose stories "have wide appeal across age and gender lines" according to Booklist. Two films have been made from his stories and one of them, Haunted Caribbean, includes the tales in Duppy Talk.

Editorial Reviews

"Gathered from storytellers on the north coast of Jamaica these six tales are built on legends brought from Africa to the Caibbean...the stories are linked by a storyteller's voice, which provides unobtrusive background and context...each tale opens with a Jamaican proverb and a final chapter discusses each saying's origin and meaning...the stories will be easy to book talk and should have wide appeal..."

Book List

"Duppy Talk is a great little book, full of wonderfully written spooky stories set on the island of Jamaica ... by the way, a duppy is a Jamaican ghost or spirit of the dead."

Gordon Walls

"...with these alive duppy talk stories, I remember after hearing similar ones as children, nothing would have persuaded any of us to go to bed alone."

James Berry

"This Caribbean island came alive for me...Jamaica now seems like a vivid extension of the village of castle Gordon, full of life, tales, laughter, fears, and superstitions, which foster the best stories."

John Sigwald

"Hausman retells six tales that he learned in Jamaica, crediting his sources in a note after each one...the language has a Jamaican ring, the notes are informative, and the 11-page glossary explains unfamiliar terms. This is one of the very few collections of West Indian folklore available for children...a worthy addition."

Library Journal