Uncle Monday and Other Florida Tales

by Kristin G. Congdon, Kitty Kitson Petterson (Illustrator)

Few states can boast the multitude of cultures that created Florida. Native American, African American, Afro-Caribbean, White, and Hispanic traditions all brought their styles of storytelling to fashion Florida's legends and lore. Uncle Monday and Other Florida Tales captures the way the state of Florida has been shaped by its unique environment and inhabitants. Written for adults, children, and folklorists, this gathering of forty-nine folktales comes from a wide variety of sources with many drawn from the WPA materials in Florida's Department of State archives. Kitty Kitson Petterson's detailed pen-and-ink drawings illustrate each narrative. The stories represent a cross-section of the ethnic diversity of the state. The book is divided into five "How Things Came to Be the Way They Are," "People with Special Powers," "Food, Friends and Family," "Unusual Places, Spaces, and Events," and "Ghosts and the Supernatural." Within these sections are stories with titles ranging from "How the Gopher Turtle was Made" to the improbable "The Woman Who Fed Her Husband a Leg Which She Dug Up from a Cemetery." In these tales Florida is a world full of magic, humor, and adventure. There are tall tales, old magical legends, even quirky, almost straightforward narratives about everyday living, such as one story titled, "My First Job."

Genres: Folklore

196 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Emmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love folktales! This was a really interesting collection, since it covers stories from various different cultures in one big melting pot of white, African American, Hispanic, and Native American tales. The title story in particular was very interesting, but I really enjoyed the stories of trickster characters outsmarting those who were bigger, stronger, or more powerful than them.

The best part of the collection was the supplementary materials. Each story had a small introduction and followed up with a series of questions for educators to use in lesson plans. This book is perfect for discussing the tales with children, but adults will also find a lot of interesting stuff to enjoy here, too.

[hhhhhhhhh · Rating 4 out of 5]

fun and funny folktales. would work great with kids. each story has discussion questions at the end.