Jump! The Adventures of Brer Rabbit [Hardcover]

Van Dyke Parks (Adapter), Malcolm Jones (Adapter), Joel Chandler Harris (Author), Barry Moser (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up

A retelling of five folktales in which crafty Brer Rabbit tries to outsmart all the other creatures in the animal community.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 3 The folktales collected by Harris from former slaves at the turn-of-the-century constitute a valuable contribution to African-American folklore. However, their usefulness has been weakened by problems with the heavy dialect with which they were written and with the narrator, Uncle Remus. Margaret Wise Brown's Brer Rabbit: Stories from Uncle Remus (Harper, 1941; o.p.) and Ennis Rees' Brer Rabbit and His Tricks (1967; o.p.) and More of Brer Rabbit's Tricks (1968; o.p., both Scott), all of which eliminated Uncle Remus, are excellent versions, but all, unfortunately, are out-of-print. This book steps in to fill the void left by those books. It is a retelling of six stories found in Chase's The Complete Tales of Uncle Remus (Houghton, 1955). These retellings are as spirited as the originals but without their drawbacks. They are written in standard English, which eliminates the pain of trying to figure out what all these "Bimebys" mean. Also, Uncle Remus is nowhere in sight to detract from the lively carryings on of Brer Rabbit and friends. Moser's illustrations, full-page portraits of the characters and their antics, are in pen-and-ink and watercolor. They match the text in humor and vigor, all the while comparing favorably with the 1896 A. B. Frost drawings for the original edition. This picture book retelling should serve as a good introduction for younger children to this important piece of American folk culture. Certainly it's the best of all the editions now in print, and one that should be treasured. Kay McPherson, Central Atlanta-Fulton Public Library
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich (September 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152413502
• ISBN-13: 978-0152413507
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #772,948 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars CLASSIC STORY WITH WHIMSICAL ILLUSTRATIONS, March 2, 2004

By 

Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Jump!: The Adventures of Brer Rabbit (Books for Young Readers) (Paperback)

Five favorite narratives from the Uncle Remus series have been released in a stunning edition, Jump! The Adventures of Brer Rabbit.

Vigorously whimsical illustrations by master wood engraver Barry Moser decorate the folio size sheets. Happily for all Brer Rabbit continues to outwit Brer Fox, and Brer Terrapin again winds up the winner. Earmarked for all ages.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Family Favorite, November 2, 2003

By 

Ann Harris (Lancaster, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jump!: The Adventures of Brer Rabbit (Books for Young Readers) (Paperback)

Having read aloud this series (Jump, Jump on Over, and Jump Again) six or seven years ago to my (then) Kindergarten and second grade children, I asked them recently "what were your favorite books when you were little?" And this book series came up as hands-down "read-aloud" winner. I remember that they were a joy to read aloud, and the children laughed and laughed. They were so sad when the last book was finished that I ended up buying and reading them Julius Lester's book as well. Beyond that, the stories are culturally important literature. Parents can feel good knowing that children are being exposed to a uniquely American folktale series.