The Cow of No Color: Riddle Stories and Justice Tales from Around the World [Hardcover]

Nina Jaffe (Author), Steve Zeitlin (Author), Whitney Sherman (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up

In this outstanding multicultural collection from the authors of the prizewinning While Standing on One Foot, readers must try to outsmart evil kings, answer questions from Death, even puzzle with angels over the justice of God. Every tale returns to the most basic question: What is fair?

With tales from Africa, Asia, and Europe, from Irish, Jews, and Muslims, from American schools and courtrooms, The Cow of No Color is truly an international gathering. Ranging from tricks to watch for in playground games to big issues to ponder for a lifetime, here is a book with insights and challenges for every member of every family.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4 Up-If a chief asks a woman for a cow of no color, how should she respond? A lawyer is sure he's gotten his client off but the jury convicts him. Why? A wise judge knows a man is a thief, but how can he prove it? Jaffe and Zeitlin offer a collection of 23 brief stories intended to make readers ask themselves: What would I do or say? What is fair or just? When should mercy temper justice? After a brief note that sets the story in its cultural context, each tale is told up to the point where a character makes a decision or takes action. Then the editors step in (in italics) and ask readers to reflect. This intrusion might be distracting to some, but it clarifies the dilemma and provides a break to initiate discussion. The stories are grouped into categories such as "Poetic Justice" and "Forgiveness and Mercy." Most of the selections are folktales but there are also true stories and one taken off the Internet. Source notes and a bibliography provide more information. Sherman's slightly surreal pen-and-ink illustrations appear every few pages. This collection might appeal to teachers and counselors, religious educators, storytellers, and youngsters fond of George Shannon's less weighty but still thought-provoking collections. Teens who are not put off by the introduction and comments clearly directed toward children might also enjoy it.
Sally Bates Goodroe, Harris County Public Library, Houston, TX
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

As the subtitle implies, these are more than simple folktales. All have been chosen with an eye toward the book's theme--justice--and cover a wide territory in both place and time. In one story from Vietnam, a young boy relies on the testimony of a fly and is able to trick the truth out of a liar. Another is the story of Susannah and the Elders from the Bible, in which a young woman is unjustly accused of adultery by two men who want her for themselves. And then there is the anecdotal tale from Judge Eugene Pinchem, whose story concerns the astuteness of a jury. The Pinchem story, along with a number of others in the book, is framed as a riddle--the audience is asked to figure out the end of the story. This excellent method of getting children to think for themselves will lead to discussion and debate. The introductions to each story, informative and respectable in length, add depth to the tales. From the striking dust jacket, featuring the woman from Ghana and her cows, to the inside line drawings, the pictures are eye-catching. Inventive teachers will find myriad uses for this volume, including having children act out the stories and letting the rest of the class guess the endings. Ilene Cooper

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); 1st edition (October 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805037365
• ISBN-13: 978-0805037364
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #466,760 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love this Book!, June 8, 2006

By 

Daria Doering (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Cow of No Color: Riddle Stories and Justice Tales from Around the World (Hardcover)

I read the first half of a story every morning to my middle schoolers. I let them offer any "solutions" they think of, and they can ponder the story for the rest of the day. Then I read the ending of the story, where the problem is resolved, before they go home. This book gets across important life lessons in a very clever, non-preachy way. I've found it to be the perfect activity to start off our day, in the few minutes we have between the students' arrival and their first class. The stories are terrific, in a multi-cultural "folk tale" mode. You can read the additional commentary on the stories or skip it.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE COOLEST BOOK, November 7, 2000

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Cow of No Color: Riddle Stories and Justice Tales from Around the World (Hardcover)

I have read this book more than I can count, and I learn from it every time. It really helps me with life's choices and how not everything is found in front of your face.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lasts while it lasts, January 16, 2000

By 

kf - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Cow of No Color: Riddle Stories and Justice Tales from Around the World (Hardcover)

This book is great-the first time you read it. It's wonderful for the first time but you won't read it twice because the stories are riddles and once you know the answer it's boring. Just be prepared when you pay.