When Apples Grew Noses and White Horses Flew: Tales of Ti-Jean

by Jan Andrews, Dusan Petricic (Illustrator)

Overview

A USBBY Outstanding International Books Honor Book and a nominee for the 2012 Silver Birch Express Award in the Ontario Library Association's Forest of Reading Program and the Canadian Library Association Book of the Year for Children Award

In these three imaginative stories, Jan Andrews introduces us to Quebec's traditional folktale hero, Ti-Jean. He's an endearing character who is both wise and foolish, and though he does find himself in hard situations (often of his own making), in the end, he somehow manages to do what needs to be done.

In "Ti-Jean and the Princess of Tomboso" he outwits a greedy princess; in "Ti-Jean the Marble Player" he gets the best of a pint-sized scoundrel; and in "How Ti-Jean Became a Fiddler" he turns the tables on a too-clever-for-her-own-good seigneur's daughter, and finds true love in the process.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781554982288
Publisher:	Groundwood Books Ltd
Publication date:	12/08/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	72
Lexile:	520L (what's this?)
File size:	4 MB
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

Jan Andrews is a writer and storyteller who has published a number of highly acclaimed books for children. Jan lives on a lake near Ottawa, Ontario. Visit Jan Andrews' website: http://web.me.com/janandrews/Site/home.html Visit Jan Andrews' blog: http://www.2wp.ca/jans-blog
Dusan Petricic is a world-renowned cartoonist, illustrator and graphic designer. Born in Belgrade, he now lives in Toronto.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 2–6—Three funny tales tell of the adventure of the Canadian folk hero Ti-Jean. He outsmarts a spoiled princess; battles wits with Bonnet Rouge, a Rumpelstiltskin-like character; and befriends local townspeople while saving his brothers and marrying a princess. Taking on a slightly different role in each story, Ti-Jean is likable and humble. The book would be an entertaining read-aloud for a classroom and a good companion piece to the study of American folktales. Andrews even encourages readers to make up their own Ti-Jean stories. Struggling readers might have a harder time reading this book independently, as there is unfamiliar vocabulary. Petricic's black-pencil drawings add to the book's appeal and playfulness. A source note gives a brief history of Ti-Jean and the origins of the tales. Quite frankly, three stories are simply not enough!—Kari Allen, National Writing Project, Plymouth State University, NH

School Library Journal

"Il était une fois..." French Canada's version of beanstalk-climbing Jack gets a rare outing in three tales refashioned from old sources by a veteran storyteller. Preserving the lightest touch of a French inflection—"Cric, crac, / Parli, parlons, parlo. / If you won't listen, / Out you go"—Andrews sets her naïve but teachable everylad up against a trio of opponents. There is a grasping princess who tricks him out of a magic belt, moneybag and trumpet; a murderous little man who sets him on numerous impossible tasks after beating him at marbles; and a harsh seigneur who insists on chucking his intellectual daughter's suitors into the dungeon when they prove to be less clever than she. Thanks to hard work, a little magic and a winning way with the ladies, Ti-Jean ultimately comes out on top in each episode while never allowing lasting harm to come to anyone and is ever magnanimous in victory. Illustrated with frequent scribbly, lighthearted ink-and-wash scenes and vignettes, these stories read with equal ease silently or aloud and offer a winning introduction to a universal folk character. Equally charming is the source note, in which Andrews describes the origins of the tales and how she worked with them. "Sac-à-tabac, / Sac-à-tabi. / The story's ended, / C'est fini." (Folktales. 9-11)

Kirkus Reviews