From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3-A vivid traditional tale, both scary and tongue-in-cheek funny, based on common Bahamian folkloric motifs. Lazy but clever Rabby shows his greedy brother Boukee how to find food by stealing from the gigantic spirit-folk while they are away from their sky house. Instead of filling his sack with food, however, Boukee stuffs himself. He is caught and threatened with boiling water, but manages to escape. From that time on, the brothers grow their own food. Though San Souci's text is flavored with dialect and idiom, it is not difficult to read aloud. Clay's illustrations, done in acrylic on canvas, glow with Caribbean warmth, and his spirit-folk are satisfyingly frightening. Wearing fierce headdresses, they are hairy with long claws and backwards feet-an image that will be fascinatingly weird to children. Boukee's roguishly expressive face is wide-eyed as he hides underneath the giants' bed and as butter drips foolishly out from under his hat. San Souci's note gives information about the story and lists sources. Little single-edition folklore from the Bahamas is available, and with the ferocious giant chasing the hapless Boukee across the cover, this book will attract an audience.?Kate McClelland, Perrot Memorial Library, Greenwich, CT
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Book Description
Two greedy brothers, Rabby and Boukee, sneak into the sky house of the spirit-folk to steal some food, but foolish Boukee, intent on gorging himself on sweet cakes and biscuits, stays too long and is caught by the indignant spirit-folk. By the author of
The Talking Eggs.
