Tomie dePaola's Front Porch Tales & North Country Whoppers Hardcover - 2007

by Tomie dePaola; Tomie dePaola (Illustrator)

These laugh-out-loud stories from New Hampshire and Vermont are setduring the four seasons of the year. The storyteller in his appealing dialecttells little-known tales, among them 'Mothah Skunk' and the night shehad to move out with her kits because Sherman Curtis smelled so bad; theescapades of Big Gertie Benson, the lumberjacks' cook and a cousin of theBunyans in the Midwest; and George Petty, who delivered the mail evenduring mud season by standing on the back of his horse with only hishead sticking out. Interspersed throughout are comic style episodes as anunsuspecting tourist tries to get information from the 'locals.'

A delightful preface about living in NewHampshire for the past thirty-five years andvisiting the North Country since he was a boy,explains why Tomie dePaola has perfect pitch forthe dialect and a genuine appreciation for theseunforgettable characters and their understatedhumor.Perfect for reading aloud to the family or inthe classroom with a glossary to help with thepronunciations, these tales are sure to be a hitwith Tomie's fans, young and old.