A Wave in Her Pocket
Copyright © 2008 www.lynnjosephbooks.com
Summary: A collection of stories featuring Amber and her cousins, Cedric, Avril, Susan, and Gerard as they listen to Tantie (their great-aunt) tell them stories of folklore creatures and myths of Trinidad and Tobago.
Reviews:
Trinidad native Joseph draws on her childhood for this seamless anthology. Told in the idiomatic, lilting cadences of the West Indies, the stories--some scary, some funny, some poignant--beg to be read aloud. Readers meet many of the exotic characters of Trinidad's rich oral tradition, including the soucouyant (a witch who becomes a ball of flame at night), the ligahoo (a being able to change shape at will) and the ghosts or jumbies who lurk in graveyards. Tantie ("great-aunt") is the storyteller whose narrative unfolds through the eyes of grandniece Amber. In a fitting finale that is at once touching and deliciously hair-raising, Tantie passes Amber the storytelling torch--as well as a necklace of bright beads given to her by Papa Bois, a forest spirit with cloven hooves. Rich in island atmosphere, Pinkney's scratchboard illustrations put the crowning touch on this superbly crafted collection, which deserves a place on any folklore shelf. Ages 8-12.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 2-4-- Tantie Delphine's stories liven all family gatherings, and serve the equally profound purpose of passing the culture to a new generation. She tells scary stories about the the ball-of-fire vampire and the Ligahoo, who brings floods; tender stories of Tantie's lost lover; trickster stories of talking monkeys; or curious stories of enchanted beads and knowledge of the future. Joseph recreates moments from her own childhood on the island of Trinidad for a wider audience without sacrificing any of the unique flavor and immediacy of some new/old legends. Graceful prose and enthralling use of the island vernacular will make delightful story times. What lucky children to have such a storytelling tantie, and how lucky readers are to have Joseph to pass the tales on to them. Pinkney's expressive scratchboard drawings complement each story with a portrait of the protagonist or the action from his own point of view. --Ruth Semrau, Lovejoy School, Allen, TX
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc
Trinidad native Joseph draws on her childhood for this seamless anthology. Told in the idiomatic, lilting cadences of the West Indies, the stories--some scary, some funny, some poignant--beg to be read aloud. Readers meet many of the exotic characters of Trinidad's rich oral tradition, including the soucouyant (a witch who becomes a ball of flame at night), the ligahoo (a being able to change shape at will) and the ghosts or jumbies who lurk in graveyards. Tantie ("great-aunt") is the storyteller whose narrative unfolds through the eyes of grandniece Amber. In a fitting finale that is at once touching and deliciously hair-raising, Tantie passes Amber the storytelling torch--as well as a necklace of bright beads given to her by Papa Bois, a forest spirit with cloven hooves. Rich in island atmosphere, Pinkney's scratchboard illustrations put the crowning touch on this superbly crafted collection, which deserves a place on any folklore shelf. Ages 8-12.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 2-4-- Tantie Delphine's stories liven all family gatherings, and serve the equally profound purpose of passing the culture to a new generation. She tells scary stories about the the ball-of-fire vampire and the Ligahoo, who brings floods; tender stories of Tantie's lost lover; trickster stories of talking monkeys; or curious stories of enchanted beads and knowledge of the future. Joseph recreates moments from her own childhood on the island of Trinidad for a wider audience without sacrificing any of the unique flavor and immediacy of some new/old legends. Graceful prose and enthralling use of the island vernacular will make delightful story times. What lucky children to have such a storytelling tantie, and how lucky readers are to have Joseph to pass the tales on to them. Pinkney's expressive scratchboard drawings complement each story with a portrait of the protagonist or the action from his own point of view. --Ruth Semrau, Lovejoy School, Allen, TX
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc
Inspiration:
After Coconut Kind of Day, my first book, I continued working with Dinah Stevenson, who was my editor for all of my picture books set in Trinidad and all of my collections of short stories. I was fortunate to have found an editor who liked my work and who nurtured me to try different formats. Dinah never wavered in her loyalty to me and my development as a writer, and for that I will always be grateful.
The book A Wave in Her Pocket started because I was remembering all of my good times growing up in Trinidad, playing with my cousins and friends by the river near our home. And Tantie, the great aunt who tells Amber and her cousins stories of Trinidad’s folklore creatures, was a combination of my Auntie Carmena and Auntie Sonia who told us stories about these creatures and scared us silly. The “soucouyant” and “Ligahoo” and “Papa Bois” are real to me because I have met plenty folks in Trinidad who claim they have seen these creatures.
The names in this book all stem from people I know in Trinidad, except for the name Amber. I have never met anyone there called Amber. That name came from my mother-in-law, Juanita Scott. I was pregnant with my first child at the time I was writing this book. Mrs. Scott kept saying that if it was a girl, she wanted me to name her Amber. Well, I had a boy, whom we named Jared, but I granted Mrs. Scott her wish and named the narrator of A Wave in Her Pocket, Amber, just to make her happy. It was wonderful to know that as a writer I could create people and give them life and a name too.
After Coconut Kind of Day, my first book, I continued working with Dinah Stevenson, who was my editor for all of my picture books set in Trinidad and all of my collections of short stories. I was fortunate to have found an editor who liked my work and who nurtured me to try different formats. Dinah never wavered in her loyalty to me and my development as a writer, and for that I will always be grateful.
The book A Wave in Her Pocket started because I was remembering all of my good times growing up in Trinidad, playing with my cousins and friends by the river near our home. And Tantie, the great aunt who tells Amber and her cousins stories of Trinidad’s folklore creatures, was a combination of my Auntie Carmena and Auntie Sonia who told us stories about these creatures and scared us silly. The “soucouyant” and “Ligahoo” and “Papa Bois” are real to me because I have met plenty folks in Trinidad who claim they have seen these creatures.
The names in this book all stem from people I know in Trinidad, except for the name Amber. I have never met anyone there called Amber. That name came from my mother-in-law, Juanita Scott. I was pregnant with my first child at the time I was writing this book. Mrs. Scott kept saying that if it was a girl, she wanted me to name her Amber. Well, I had a boy, whom we named Jared, but I granted Mrs. Scott her wish and named the narrator of A Wave in Her Pocket, Amber, just to make her happy. It was wonderful to know that as a writer I could create people and give them life and a name too.
