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Trick of the Tale: A Collection of Trickster Tales
Celebrate the slyest trickster tales from around the world in a lavish volume that gives a well-loved story tradition its rightful due.
Enter (carefully) the world of the tricksters, those wily creatures who lie their way out of trouble, cheat when they get a chance, and devise elaborate tricks to get what they want —- with delightfully unpredictable results. This truly diverse, elegantly illustrated collection follows such clever characters as Anansi, Coyote, Brer Rabbit, and others who play a role in a multicultural array of storytelling traditions, from African to Inuit to European, Tibetan to Native American to Japanese.
Enter (carefully) the world of the tricksters, those wily creatures who lie their way out of trouble, cheat when they get a chance, and devise elaborate tricks to get what they want —- with delightfully unpredictable results. This truly diverse, elegantly illustrated collection follows such clever characters as Anansi, Coyote, Brer Rabbit, and others who play a role in a multicultural array of storytelling traditions, from African to Inuit to European, Tibetan to Native American to Japanese.
96 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2008
134 people want to read
About the author
John Matthews
426 books199 followersJohn Matthews is an historian, folklorist and author. He has been a full time writer since 1980 and has produced over ninety books on the Arthurian Legends and Grail Studies, as well as short stories and a volume of poetry. He has devoted much of the past thirty years to the study of Arthurian Traditions and myth in general. His best known and most widely read works are ‘Pirates’ (Carlton/Atheneum), No 1 children’s book on the New York Times Review best-seller list for 22 weeks in 2006, ‘The Grail, Quest for Eternal Life’ (Thames & Hudson, 1981) ‘The Encyclopaedia of Celtic Wisdom’ (Element, 1994) and ‘The Winter Solstice’ (Quest Books, 1999) which won the Benjamin Franklin Award for that year. His book ‘Celtic Warrior Chiefs’ was a New York Public Library recommended title for young people.
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July 15, 2017Zbirka klasičnih priča o varalicama (triksterima) iz celog sveta kojoj autorski pečat ne daju pisci nego ilustrator - Tomislav Tomić ima apsolutno neverovatan stil i u gusto šrafiranim crtežima prenosi duh starih bakroreza. Bez stida priznajem da sam knjigu nabavila samo zbog ilustracija.
February 25, 2024
This was another of the Templar classics and one I will admit I didn't know much about however its a brilliant find.
Think a book of short (from a single page to half a dozen) stories richly illustrated each with a fable or story on the theme of tricksters. Some are good some are bad and others just humorous but all great fun to read and as I said accompanied with some wonderful black and white artwork.
The book itself is rather short at under 100 pages but still the number of stories it contains is quite impressive - another change in style and direction for a much under rated series that keeps on surprising me.
Think a book of short (from a single page to half a dozen) stories richly illustrated each with a fable or story on the theme of tricksters. Some are good some are bad and others just humorous but all great fun to read and as I said accompanied with some wonderful black and white artwork.
The book itself is rather short at under 100 pages but still the number of stories it contains is quite impressive - another change in style and direction for a much under rated series that keeps on surprising me.
August 17, 2008
I think that there might be a point at which a children's book becomes so physically lovely that its beauty becomes a kind of liability. Some parents are already afraid of children's books on some level. They buy their kids cheapo paperbacks and Clifford titles because they feel that a kid would "ruin" anything nice with their sticky little fingers. And so when a book as truly gorgeous as Trick of the Tale appears before them, they can't imagine subjecting an object d'art as delicate, detailed, and purely lovely as this to the violent love and adoration of their children. This is more than a bit of a pity, though, since Trick of the Tale: A Collection of Trickster Tales is positively made for kids to paw through. With stories by John and Caitlin Matthews that can suck in any reader and pictures by Tomislav Tomic that will sink in their hooks and not let go, this is exactly the kind of book children will go through on their own, over and over again. Let's just hope that their parents trust them enough to do so.
Did I ever tell you the Cossack story of how the Cat and the Fox teamed up to get themselves a fine meal? Or the tale of the Rat, Crab, and Octopus from the islands of Micronesia? How about the time the Tibetan frog escaped a crow's beak through trickery? In this collection of tales tricksters are clever and sly so as to meet their own ends. Sometimes their motivations are based entirely on self-preservation, but often they prove to simply get what they want through coercion and sly intelligence. Twenty-one tales from all around the globe explain at least one thing. When it comes to human storytelling, we've an unaccountable love of tricking others and of being tricked.
The trickster tales appeal to us perhaps because the trickster is subject to all the moral frailties of a human without being resigned to a human shape. In their Introduction the Matthews describe it this way, "Whatever its size, each trickster animal draws upon its own intelligence, abilities, and cunning resilience to bluff, cheat, dodge, or decoy - and so to escape from present danger and gain its freedom. Whether you are a clever fox or an underdog, these tales show you how to value life's gifts to the fullest." Which is not to say that all the tricksters in this collection are heroes. Many act in a manner that could be considered abhorrent or immoral. "Lion and Unicorn" for example describes a story where a lion acts weak in front of his enemy to gain his pity and, ultimately, to use that quality against him. "Partners" from the Finnish contains a particularly self-centered fox. And "The Coldest Night" does not even read like a trickster tale for most of the story, until you reach the end and realize that the trickster character has been playing on the protagonist's weaknesses all along.
Like other trickster collections this book takes a sampling of tales from all around the globe. To explain where each has come from every story is preceded by a line like, "This is a story about getting even, from the Uintah Ute people of North America." Unfortunately the book is utterly bereft of backmatter. Did John and Caitlin pluck these tales from thin air or did they have sources? The world may never know. I for one would have appreciated getting a sense of how the authors did their research but even their brief bio on the bookflap remains mum on the subject.
You can get a lot of trickster collections out there, so what sets this collection apart from the others? Two words: Tomislav Tomic. This Croatian artist (one site calls him, "a traditional drawing based illustrator") has an ability to balance beauty with just the right kind of playful spirit. His pen-and-inks invoke fur. Fur can be hard. Don't knock fur. And between his textures, expressions, personalities, and landscapes Mr. Tomic is so clearly an artist to watch. His style also happens to suit this kind of book particularly well.
Another note on the illustrations. There's detail and then there's detail. I'm not sure who made the executive decision to make "How Ananse Stole All the Stories" the last tale in this collection, but as a way of rounding out the collection it makes perfect sense. I get the feeling Tomic was also aware of where this tale would be placed, particularly when I look at the large picture that accompanies the first page of the tale. There sits the Sky God and behind him is a web of all the world's stories. If you didn't look very closely they might resemble just a random series of images, but on closer inspection it is evident that the tales we have already read have been woven into the fabric of this web. There to the Sky God's right is the raven holding the crayfish in its mouth mere moments before being tricked into opening its beak. There too is Goll the half blind Salmon of Assaroe from the tale "The Coldest Night". And there are some creatures that will appear in Ananse's own tale like Onini the Python and Mmoatia the Tree Spirit. And so it is that Tomic wraps his stories up together with a single image, just as the Matthews tie together their stories with a tale.
In a strange way, these trickster tales would pair beautifully in a children's literary graduate course with the collection of young adult short stories about tricksters called The Coyote Road: Trickster Tales. In this book you find stories appropriate for kids. In the other, the tricksters grow up. So if you should find that your library, be it personal or public, is lacking in the trickster category, or even simply in need of an update, then Trick of the Tale proves to be your remedy, exactly. Just make sure you don't worry about the children and their gummy digits. A book this pretty is bound to be well loved anyway. Enjoy it as it stands.
Ages 6 and up.
Did I ever tell you the Cossack story of how the Cat and the Fox teamed up to get themselves a fine meal? Or the tale of the Rat, Crab, and Octopus from the islands of Micronesia? How about the time the Tibetan frog escaped a crow's beak through trickery? In this collection of tales tricksters are clever and sly so as to meet their own ends. Sometimes their motivations are based entirely on self-preservation, but often they prove to simply get what they want through coercion and sly intelligence. Twenty-one tales from all around the globe explain at least one thing. When it comes to human storytelling, we've an unaccountable love of tricking others and of being tricked.
The trickster tales appeal to us perhaps because the trickster is subject to all the moral frailties of a human without being resigned to a human shape. In their Introduction the Matthews describe it this way, "Whatever its size, each trickster animal draws upon its own intelligence, abilities, and cunning resilience to bluff, cheat, dodge, or decoy - and so to escape from present danger and gain its freedom. Whether you are a clever fox or an underdog, these tales show you how to value life's gifts to the fullest." Which is not to say that all the tricksters in this collection are heroes. Many act in a manner that could be considered abhorrent or immoral. "Lion and Unicorn" for example describes a story where a lion acts weak in front of his enemy to gain his pity and, ultimately, to use that quality against him. "Partners" from the Finnish contains a particularly self-centered fox. And "The Coldest Night" does not even read like a trickster tale for most of the story, until you reach the end and realize that the trickster character has been playing on the protagonist's weaknesses all along.
Like other trickster collections this book takes a sampling of tales from all around the globe. To explain where each has come from every story is preceded by a line like, "This is a story about getting even, from the Uintah Ute people of North America." Unfortunately the book is utterly bereft of backmatter. Did John and Caitlin pluck these tales from thin air or did they have sources? The world may never know. I for one would have appreciated getting a sense of how the authors did their research but even their brief bio on the bookflap remains mum on the subject.
You can get a lot of trickster collections out there, so what sets this collection apart from the others? Two words: Tomislav Tomic. This Croatian artist (one site calls him, "a traditional drawing based illustrator") has an ability to balance beauty with just the right kind of playful spirit. His pen-and-inks invoke fur. Fur can be hard. Don't knock fur. And between his textures, expressions, personalities, and landscapes Mr. Tomic is so clearly an artist to watch. His style also happens to suit this kind of book particularly well.
Another note on the illustrations. There's detail and then there's detail. I'm not sure who made the executive decision to make "How Ananse Stole All the Stories" the last tale in this collection, but as a way of rounding out the collection it makes perfect sense. I get the feeling Tomic was also aware of where this tale would be placed, particularly when I look at the large picture that accompanies the first page of the tale. There sits the Sky God and behind him is a web of all the world's stories. If you didn't look very closely they might resemble just a random series of images, but on closer inspection it is evident that the tales we have already read have been woven into the fabric of this web. There to the Sky God's right is the raven holding the crayfish in its mouth mere moments before being tricked into opening its beak. There too is Goll the half blind Salmon of Assaroe from the tale "The Coldest Night". And there are some creatures that will appear in Ananse's own tale like Onini the Python and Mmoatia the Tree Spirit. And so it is that Tomic wraps his stories up together with a single image, just as the Matthews tie together their stories with a tale.
In a strange way, these trickster tales would pair beautifully in a children's literary graduate course with the collection of young adult short stories about tricksters called The Coyote Road: Trickster Tales. In this book you find stories appropriate for kids. In the other, the tricksters grow up. So if you should find that your library, be it personal or public, is lacking in the trickster category, or even simply in need of an update, then Trick of the Tale proves to be your remedy, exactly. Just make sure you don't worry about the children and their gummy digits. A book this pretty is bound to be well loved anyway. Enjoy it as it stands.
Ages 6 and up.
June 18, 2025
Collection of folk tales from the world over.
October 22, 2017
No neviem. Až príliš veľa bájok bolo takých *meh* a ku koncu som sa musela dosť nútiť...
November 21, 2013
This collection of trickster tales is appropriate for an Intermediate reader. Collected here are tales from various cultures, all involving some sly trickster character who whips up trouble, like Coyote, Brer Rabbit, and Ananse the Spider. Yes, the stories are great and interesting and would keep a reader's attention. But the glory of this book is its beauty. Every page is so lovely: thick creamy-ecru pages, the prettiest font ever, the illustrations! So the illustrations: gorgeous, seriously detailed, inked engravings, so beautiful. There is a picture on just about every page. And they are stunning. This book is art. The tales are short enough to take in small bites, and the images just extend the meaning and the enjoyment to a new level. There are a lot of stories, although many of them are similar, there is still some variety. For those kids who really respond to animal stories, this book is terrific. For those people who appreciate a lovely book to hold and peruse, this fits the bill. For storytellers, there's enough here to build a repertoire of trickster tales. All in all, a beautifully crafted book.
August 28, 2016
Short tales from all over the globe. Perfect bed time stories for little ones who want more than one at bed time. Accompanied by detailed drawings. Many sounded familiar to me.
Enjoyable.
Enjoyable.
June 30, 2022
This book is a real treat.
I got 'Trick of the Tale' because I was looking for a book of short stories. I was familiar with John & Caitlin Matthews from several Celtic-themed volumes and the idea of Trickster stories from various cultures intrigued me. It was even better than I expected.
These are fables, which is a particular genre of short story. The entire book can be read at a sitting, but that would be a waste! The tales are lively, and it's fun to see what culture told which story. The illustrations by Tomislav Tomic are gorgeous. The book is a work of art.
I am passing it along to my grandson.
I got 'Trick of the Tale' because I was looking for a book of short stories. I was familiar with John & Caitlin Matthews from several Celtic-themed volumes and the idea of Trickster stories from various cultures intrigued me. It was even better than I expected.
These are fables, which is a particular genre of short story. The entire book can be read at a sitting, but that would be a waste! The tales are lively, and it's fun to see what culture told which story. The illustrations by Tomislav Tomic are gorgeous. The book is a work of art.
I am passing it along to my grandson.
January 26, 2018
Beautiful tales from all around the world with animals like a main heroes. And on top of that are incredible illustrations.
May 14, 2020
Perfect for reading with little children before they go to sleep.
October 10, 2020
Another good book with impressive illustrations.
August 29, 2022
Πολύ όμορφο πακέτο η συσκευασία και με πολύ ωραίο σχέδιο.
Οι ιστορίες κλασικές.
Οι ιστορίες κλασικές.
January 9, 2023
Illustrated folktales which involve animal tricksters. This collection of tales come from all over the world. Fun for all ages. Great read for grandkids.
January 13, 2026
A couple of fables. Strange selection, strange retelling. It didn't really resonate with me. But the illustrations are gorgeous.
March 12, 2015
Characters: This anthology includes twenty different stories. Main characters include: Hare, Otter, Monkey, and Badger (Japan); Brer Rabbit(African American); Tupalik and his wife (Canadian Inuit); Sungura the Hare and Leopard (African plains); Coyote (Native American); Chauntecleer the rooster (England); Crow and Frog (Tibet); Acheria the Fox (Basque/Spain); Raven (Siberian); Fox, Cat, Bear, Wolf, and Boar (Russia); Lion and Unicorn (England); Winabijou (Ojibwa, American); the birds of Ireland; Pekka the Wolf and Mikka the Fox (Finland); Rat, Crab, and Octopus (Micronesia)
Setting: The setting is different for each story. The country of origin of each story is listed above, alongside the character.
Theme: Trickster tales; folk tales; International stories
Motif: A clever trickster
Summary: Each story is different, with the common element of a trickster. As an example, let’s focus on one of the twenty.
In “A Home of One’s Own,” both Sungura the Hare and Leopard want to have their own homes. Sungura found a tall hill, and picked a clearing to build a home for his family. As Sungura went looking for wood to build with, Leopard discovered the same place to build a home for himself. Sungura returned to the spot and dropped off his lumber after Leopard had left in search of his own. This pattern continued for some time. Sungura went for vines, and then Leopard went for mud. Sungura tied his wood together and went for thatch. Leopard returned and covered the walls with mud before heading out in search of thatch of his own. Each was thrilled with his good luck. As night fell, both animals fell asleep inside their home without seeing the other.
In the morning, the animals awoke to see each other, soon realizing what had happened. They worked together to build a dividing wall. Sungura married and had a family, always worrying about his grumpy neighbor. Sungura and his wife devised a plan. They tricked Leopard into believing that Sungura was a hunter, and that the children craved leopard meat. Leopard ran away in fear, until he met Baboon. Baboon said that hares couldn’t hurt Leopard, so he returned to his home. There he overheard Sungura praising his wife for using Baboon to get Leopard back so that he wouldn’t have to go hunting. Leopard overhead this and ran away forever, leaving entire home for Sungura the hare and his family.
Strengths/Weaknesses: This book contains many multicultural examples of trickster tales. The stories are short enough in length to each be read in one chunk. The illustrations are detailed and beautifully drawn, but the minimal use of color on the plain, white page looks a bit bland.
Illustrations: Each story contains illustrations of the main characters, along with images describing the settings. The pictures themselves are detailed and shaded, but the figures lack color. Use of color is limited, and serves the purpose of emphasizing elements within certain illustrations.
Target Audience: Ages 5 to 9
Curriculum Ties: The book can be used as examples of trickster tales, which should be happening in second and third grades. It can also be used to explore multicultural traditional stories.
Personal Critique: I enjoyed exploring the variations on trickster tales found in this book. As an adult, I found the illustrations to be lovely. The stories are a bit text heavy, and it would probably work better as a teacher read-aloud.
Setting: The setting is different for each story. The country of origin of each story is listed above, alongside the character.
Theme: Trickster tales; folk tales; International stories
Motif: A clever trickster
Summary: Each story is different, with the common element of a trickster. As an example, let’s focus on one of the twenty.
In “A Home of One’s Own,” both Sungura the Hare and Leopard want to have their own homes. Sungura found a tall hill, and picked a clearing to build a home for his family. As Sungura went looking for wood to build with, Leopard discovered the same place to build a home for himself. Sungura returned to the spot and dropped off his lumber after Leopard had left in search of his own. This pattern continued for some time. Sungura went for vines, and then Leopard went for mud. Sungura tied his wood together and went for thatch. Leopard returned and covered the walls with mud before heading out in search of thatch of his own. Each was thrilled with his good luck. As night fell, both animals fell asleep inside their home without seeing the other.
In the morning, the animals awoke to see each other, soon realizing what had happened. They worked together to build a dividing wall. Sungura married and had a family, always worrying about his grumpy neighbor. Sungura and his wife devised a plan. They tricked Leopard into believing that Sungura was a hunter, and that the children craved leopard meat. Leopard ran away in fear, until he met Baboon. Baboon said that hares couldn’t hurt Leopard, so he returned to his home. There he overheard Sungura praising his wife for using Baboon to get Leopard back so that he wouldn’t have to go hunting. Leopard overhead this and ran away forever, leaving entire home for Sungura the hare and his family.
Strengths/Weaknesses: This book contains many multicultural examples of trickster tales. The stories are short enough in length to each be read in one chunk. The illustrations are detailed and beautifully drawn, but the minimal use of color on the plain, white page looks a bit bland.
Illustrations: Each story contains illustrations of the main characters, along with images describing the settings. The pictures themselves are detailed and shaded, but the figures lack color. Use of color is limited, and serves the purpose of emphasizing elements within certain illustrations.
Target Audience: Ages 5 to 9
Curriculum Ties: The book can be used as examples of trickster tales, which should be happening in second and third grades. It can also be used to explore multicultural traditional stories.
Personal Critique: I enjoyed exploring the variations on trickster tales found in this book. As an adult, I found the illustrations to be lovely. The stories are a bit text heavy, and it would probably work better as a teacher read-aloud.
November 17, 2014
This collection of tales is an example of the "Aesopian" style of storytelling. In this small tome we see how humankind has attempted to find meaning and explain the world by using animals as analogues to describe the human condition. These didactic works are of great value; not because they prescribe how we should act but because they highlight our commonalities. The stories treat with topics of greed, laziness, anger and a host of other traits but the focus tends to slant towards trickery & cunning. As mirrored in life, sometimes the good characters in the story finish last!
Each story has been painstakingly represented in a series of accompanying ink pen drawings. The artwork is extremely detailed and contain many hidden elements for the keen eye to discover. Some anthropomorphic elements have been sparingly introduced and serves to enhance the storytelling.
Each story has been painstakingly represented in a series of accompanying ink pen drawings. The artwork is extremely detailed and contain many hidden elements for the keen eye to discover. Some anthropomorphic elements have been sparingly introduced and serves to enhance the storytelling.
January 16, 2016
Nice collection of trickster tales. Lacks source notes. Hill of beans -- Brer Rabbit and the fatal imitation -- How Raven stole back the light -- Home of one's own -- Coyote and the little tune -- Chauntecleer's dream -- Frog and Crow -- Tricks and truth -- Raven and Crayfish -- Revenge is sweet -- Lion and Unicorn -- Making of the world -- King of all birds -- Partner -- Ocean cruise -- Nose for a nose -- Vijaya and the elephant's oath -- Coldest night -- Deep, deep well -- How Ananse stole all the stories -- Authors and artist.
March 20, 2009
Book-talked on a 3rd grade class visit.
This is one of the more beautiful folktale books that we own at the branch. I'm docking stars for the length of the stories. It's one to book-talk, not one to read aloud. The woodcut illustrations are amazingly intricate. Plus, I really liked the unusual stories in the collection - the reader is exposed to trickster tales from around the globe, including placed like India, Siberia, and the Southwest.
This is one of the more beautiful folktale books that we own at the branch. I'm docking stars for the length of the stories. It's one to book-talk, not one to read aloud. The woodcut illustrations are amazingly intricate. Plus, I really liked the unusual stories in the collection - the reader is exposed to trickster tales from around the globe, including placed like India, Siberia, and the Southwest.
July 21, 2010
Recently, an assignment (while reading Finding Water by Julia Cameron) sent me to the children's section of the library, where I found this delightful compilation of trickster tales. It was fun to read them slowly, a tale or two here and there over a period of weeks, and see what the tales from many different cultures had in common, and how they differ. If you pick up this book, don't neglect to read the bios of the author and artist, which take some whimsical turns that add to the fun.
July 17, 2008
This is a beautifully illustrated book of trickster folktales from all over the world. The stories are short enough to make good read-alouds, and there's also a good range of stories, from simpler ones that will appeal to the very young, to more thought-provoking stories for older children and adults.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews