Sure as Sunrise: Stories of Bruh Rabbit and His Walkin' Talkin' Friends [Hardcover]

Alice McGill (Author), Don Tate (Illustrator)

Book Description

Grade Level: K and up

With the humor and wisdom of her North Carolina roots, Alice McGill shares the stories she remembers from her father, mother, grandmother, and neighbors. Her telling is as fresh as “a loaf of bread still warm from the ashes” as she brings to life the creatures that so fascinated her as a child: Bruh Rabbit, Sis Possum, Bruh Bear, and Bruh Fox. Illustrated with zest and warmth, these stories were passed on for generations and are, ultimately, a celebration of the human spirit. For as sure as sunrise, the cleverness of the small but sassy Bruh Rabbit shines through as he outwits the more powerful, again and again.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-5–Following an excellent two-page introduction about Bruh Rabbit stories and her experiences with them, McGill presents five entertaining tales. In "Please Don't Fling Me in the Briar Patch," Bruh Rabbit cleverly outwits the animals that want to punish him for stealing their dinner. Next, a good-hearted possum is taken advantage of by a snake. In "How the Critters Got Groceries," Bruh Cooter helps possum catch a meal. Bruh Rabbit returns in the last two selections, first tricking Bruh Fox into taking a beating for him, and then trying to win the hand of Bruh King's daughter. McGill begins and ends each story with a few comments, including where and from whom she first heard it, musings about its moral, and a personal anecdote or two. The text is lengthy, but children will be riveted by the storytelling. Done in acrylic paint on textured paper, the mostly full-page illustrations are filled with vivid colors and details. Tate captures the personality of each of the characters, as well as the humor inherent in these stories. Varying perspectives keep the action moving. This excellent collection makes a great choice for reading aloud and will appeal to a wide audience. It's also a strong addition for libraries looking for contemporary versions of Bruh Rabbit tales.–Mary N. Oluonye, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* PreS-Gr. 3. Drawing on the tales she heard from her African American family and community growing up in rural North Carolina more than 50 years ago, McGill tells five trickster stories with warmth, wit, and simple immediacy that's just right for reading aloud. There's no heavy dialect, but a colloquial voice is part of the narrative ("Bruh Rabbit was a bad mammajamma. That meant he had pluck"), as are occasional elements of call and response. Based on clay models, the animal characters in human clothes are reminiscent of puppets in the big, clear oil-and-acrylic illustrations; their body language and exaggerated expressions are wonderful as they question, scheme, rage, and--sometimes--outwit the powerful. In tales such as "Please Don't Fling Me in the Briar Patch," Bruh Rabbit outsmarts everyone and gets his way. But in "Looking to Get Married," he can't beat the king/slave-owner ("all worked for him and didn't get paid"), and the hero doesn't get the princess and live happily ever after. In both her introduction and informal headnotes, McGill talks about the fun of hearing the stories as a child and also about the history she learned later, including the fact that the sly rabbit was a spokesperson for slaves, a character brought with them from Africa. The combination of trickster fun, historical truth, and personal storytelling tradition makes this a winner. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (April 22, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618211969
• ISBN-13: 978-0618211968
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,571,982 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars African-American Folktales Starring Bruh Rabbit!, July 14, 2008

By 

Lynn Ellingwood "The ESOL Teacher" (Webster, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sure as Sunrise: Stories of Bruh Rabbit and His Walkin' Talkin' Friends (Hardcover)

This is a collection of folk tales by Alice McGill who heard them when she was growing up in North Carolina. She explains how the storyteller would tell the tale verbally in a combination of dramatic speech and singing. The group listening would also contribute and sing along themselves. The tales are mainly of the "trickster" format where Bruh Rabbit would set out to trick someone else or they would trick him. Some involve other characters in the same format. Good book for listening comprehension exercises, teaching culture and reading folk tales.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 2006-07 TX Bluebonnet Award Nominee, December 15, 2005

By 

Virginia Allain "(retired librarian)" (Poinciana, FL) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Sure as Sunrise: Stories of Bruh Rabbit and His Walkin' Talkin' Friends (Hardcover)

"Drawing on her North Carolina heritage, storyteller McGill retells five Bruh Rabbit tales, including the well-known "Please Don't Fling Me in the Briar Patch" and less familiar selections such as "Looking to Get Married." Brief introductions and notes accompany each story." (summary by Texas Library Association)