The Fish Bride and Other Gypsy Tales [Library Binding]

Michael Larson (Illustrator), Jean Russell Larson (Narrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2000

Presented here are sixteen Gypsy folktales, as well as proverbs and sayings, that are written for young people.

These stories take place in palaces and humble cottages, but also on the open road, where the Gypsy traditionally felt most at home. The characters are often surrounded by enchantment and sometimes deal in magic.

Meet Clever Marco, who is outwitted by his own cunning. Encounter a bird who defeats a fox and a lion by knowing "there is great strength in weakness." See Sikri, the Gypsy girl who is trapped at the gates of time weaving upon a starry loom. Read about Magda, who lures unwary travelers into traps with her evil eye. Laugh at foolish Noodle who gets tricked out of his clothes; and admire Piccolo who, though not appreciated for his God-given gift of dance, learns to appreciate himself. With evil queens, devils, "Foolish Jack" stories, Welsh "black dog" stories, "green man" tales, and escapes from the supernatural, THE FISH BRIDE makes the Gypsy outlook on life come alive.

A Linnet Book. All ages, xvii, 90 p., illus., bibliog. Library binding, 0-208-02474-3, $22.50.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4 Up-Retellings of 16 traditional tales collected in the American Midwest in the late 1930s and in Wales during the same time period. Larson's introduction describes her childhood visits to Gypsy camps in Iowa, where she was fascinated by the colorful storytelling she heard, and the similar youthful experiences of Jack Richards, who contributed the Welsh stories. Larson also tells briefly of the long history of Gypsy persecution in Europe and elsewhere. Several of the stories, such as "Jack and the Green Man," a typical "foolish Jack" tale from Wales, are similar to fairy tales from other cultures. Others, including "King of the Moon," in which young Marco outwits the czar by threatening him with a Gypsy curse, are examples of cautionary tales designed to warn fellow Gypsies against the hostility they often faced in the outside world. Each selection is prefaced by a brief explanatory note and followed by a Gypsy proverb. Storytellers will welcome this new addition to the body of written traditional Gypsy folklore, particularly since collections such as M. A. Jagendorf and C. H. Tillhagen's The Gypsies' Fiddle and Other Gypsy Tales (Vanguard, 1956; o.p.) and Jerzy Ficowski's Sister of the Birds and Other Gypsy Tales (Abingdon, 1976; o.p.) are out of print. Children who enjoyed the "Jack Tales" or the stories of the fools of Chelm will find similar themes and humor in this collection.
Ginny Gustin, Sonoma County Library System, Santa Rosa, CA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 4-6, younger for reading aloud. Drawn from memories of Rom--"Gypsies" as Larson calls them--storytellers heard in childhood, and other sources, these 16 tales stir romance, adventure, humor, wisdom, and encounters with God and the devil into a lively mix. The settings range from Wales to Malaysia. Children will enjoy meeting "The Kettle Which Filled Itself," for it "had a thought or two of its own," as well as young Marco, who fools the Tsar in one tale, but meets his match in another. Larson sandwiches each tale between a thematic introduction and a proverb, and closes with a sturdy, annotated book list (plus a Web site). She indulges in some cultural generalizations: "Gypsies have traditionally scorned the values of settled gadje (non-Gypsies), preferring the freedom of the open road." Such statements, along with her use of the term Gypsy, considered offensive by many Rom, mar an otherwise heartily entertaining collection. Illustrations by Michael Larson were not clear enough to evaluate in the galley. John Peters
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Library Binding: 128 pages
• Publisher: Linnet Books (September 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0208024743
• ISBN-13: 978-0208024749
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,829,487 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars fun collection of gypsy folk tales, March 31, 2008

By 

J. Barrett (United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Fish Bride and Other Gypsy Tales (Library Binding)

(from the jacket liner) "Presented here are sixteen Gypsy folktales, as well as proverbs and sayings, that are written for young people. These stories take place in palaces and humble cottages, but also in the open road, where the Gypsy traditionally felt most at home. The characters are often surrounded by enchantment and sometimes deal in magic."
Stories include:
Piccolo (about doing what's best for YOU, not what people tell you to do)
The Starry Loom
The Lion, The Fox, and the Bird (the little Bird takes advantage of the Lion and the Fox.
Noodle (a boy is duped by a cunning man, and loses his possesions)
The Evil Eye (a girl's selfless acts are rewarded)
Clever Marco
The Fish Bride
The Black Dog
The Kettle Which Filled Itself
Jack and the Green Man
Biddy Oak
The Haunted Inn (a man is bewitched after cheating a Gypsy)
King of the Moon
The Gypsy Harper
Lallah Pombo (the youngest daughter of a Gypsy caravan is the unlikely heroine)