Product Description

Whether he is besting Brer Fox or sneaking into Mr. Man’s garden, Brer Rabbit is always teaching a valuable lesson. These classic tales are full of wit, humor, and creativity, and Julius Lester brings an added contemporary sense to these forty-eight timeless stories.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #658993 in Books
• Published on: 2006-12-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 160 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780142407202
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Publishers Weekly
Lester juxtaposes a contemporary voice and settings (like shopping malls) with some dialect in these "wonderfully funny folktales," said PW. "For many purists, though, it will not replace the original stories." Ages 8-up.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grades 3-6--Using what he refers to as a modified contemporary southern black English, Julius Lester gives a first-rate reading of this book (Dial, 1987). Through his retelling of Joel Chandler Harris's tales, Lester has made this unique collection of African-American folktales accessible to today's listeners. Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox, and a host of critters come to life under Lester's auspices. His full, rich voice is friendly and inviting. With vocal inflections, he gives each character a distinct voice and attitude. Through his slow, precise timing, listeners are able to savor the wit and humor of each story. Tales are smoothly linked together by introductory paragraphs that connect each story to the one preceding it. In keeping with black storytelling tradition, contemporary references become part of the story. Thus, Brer Rabbit dons his Nike sneakers to run the race with Brer Turtle, and takes off like a 747 jet. Listeners can only wonder why 14 years elapsed between the publication of the book and the audiobook. Hopefully the hiatus will not be as lengthy before Lester's More Tales of Uncle Remus and The Last Tales of Uncle Remus are recorded. The cassettes are clearly labeled and contain helpful on-tape listening instructions. Although the range of stories is listed on each cassette, a list of all 48 titles would have been a nice addition. This thoughtful presentation of these classic tales is an excellent choice for school and public libraries.
Bonnie Bolton, Cleveland Public Library, OH
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review
This is a landmark collection. . . . Lester’s retellings are sharp and flavorful and grounded in the here and now. -- Booklist, starred review

Customer Reviews

Lifetime Memories
I was raised on these tales of the wiley rabbit. My mother read me to sleep with The Songs of The South. Being from the heart of Dixie I have a very personal feeling for these wonderful colorful and enlightning tales of old. My middle age has allowed me to pass these tales on to my children and I am now reading them to my Grandchildren. In fact they are in demand from my kids wanting to read them to their children them selves when not convenient to do so by me.

Uncle Remus spins a whimsicle yarn and uses old time forgotten vinacular that titilates the imagination to heights that brings a giggle to the staunches personality.

The are truly an endless means of allowing imaginations paint colorful pictures and creating cool summer breezes under an old sycimore tree decked out with lazy spanish moss.

Highly recommended and truly a milestone in our Southern Heritage and culture of The Old South. Song of The South will endure and hold on like a Mississippi snapping turtle.

This book one is one of my all-time childhood favorites!
I personally haven't read the book in years, but my Grandmother (Mama Toler, we called her) bought that book for me when I was very young. Actually, if memory serves, it was a collection of stories with Uncle Remus telling the tales, and included several stories about the adventures of Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox, Brer Wolf, and the Doogang. Oh, I can't forget to mention "Tar Baby" either! Even before I was old enough to read on my own, Mama Toler would hold me in her lap and read all about the Adventures of Brer Rabbit and the Briar Patch. I loved it when she would mimick Uncle Remus' laugh because her belly would jiggle and make me wiggle and giggle (can you tell the little child in me has been awakened?). This book is one is one of my all-time favorites and, although I haven't seen it in years, I'm thinking that this would be the perfect time for me to buy a copy for my four-year old granddaughter (and ME!) since she spends every other weekend with us and loves for "Nanna" to read to her. Thanks for rekindling some happy memories. Happy Reading to you all, too! Diane

A classic reworked for our times
Julies Lester and Jerry Pinkney are forever finding new ways of retelling classic African American tales while removing the stigma once attached to their early presentation. Their other works include a whole new version of the old L'il Black Sambo story. Far more daringly is this collection; a retelling of the classic Uncle Remus stories. There is much to admire in this collection and a little to criticize. Admirable are the ways in which the stories are made interesting for kids today. The character of Uncle Remus has been made omnipresent. No longer are there pictures of little white children crouching at his feet. Instead, his narration encompasses everything that happens, and his humor infuses each and every story. Less admirable are some of the the more modern twinges placed here and there. Sometimes the narrator will mention a shopping mall or a pair of expensive running shoes. These "updates" seem to date an otherwise modern story. The violence found in these tales often seem straight out of a Grimm fairy tale. They are a bit similar in the methods of killing (boiling with water, burning alive, etc.). It is difficult in this day and age to find such tireless reworkings of classic American stories. Stories that should never be forgotten because they represent a part of our American past. If you have any interest at all, or nostalgia for, these tales then read this book immediately and do not dilly dally.