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The Favorite Uncle Remus: Joel Chandler Harris's American Stories for Kids
This book brings together for the first time in one volume the best stories of Joel Chandler Harris.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 30, 1973
4 people are currently reading
85 people want to read
About the author
Joel Chandler Harris
543 books42 followersJoel Chandler Harris was an American journalist born in Eatonton, Georgia who wrote the Uncle Remus stories, including Uncle Remus; His Songs and His Sayings, The Folk-Lore of the Old Plantation, (1880), Nights with Uncle Remus (1881 & 1882), Uncle Remus and His Friends (1892), and Uncle Remus and the Little Boy (1905).
The stories, based on the African-American oral storytelling tradition, were revolutionary in their use of dialect and in featuring a trickster hero called Br'er ("Brother") Rabbit, who uses his wits against adversity, though his efforts do not always succeed. The frog is the trickster character in traditional tales in Central and Southern Africa. The stories, which began appearing in the Atlanta Constitution in 1879, were popular among both Black and White readers in the North and South, not least because they presented an idealized view of race relations soon after the Civil War. The first published Brer Rabbit stories were written by President Theodore Roosevelt's uncle, Robert Roosevelt.
The stories, based on the African-American oral storytelling tradition, were revolutionary in their use of dialect and in featuring a trickster hero called Br'er ("Brother") Rabbit, who uses his wits against adversity, though his efforts do not always succeed. The frog is the trickster character in traditional tales in Central and Southern Africa. The stories, which began appearing in the Atlanta Constitution in 1879, were popular among both Black and White readers in the North and South, not least because they presented an idealized view of race relations soon after the Civil War. The first published Brer Rabbit stories were written by President Theodore Roosevelt's uncle, Robert Roosevelt.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 12, 2024
Though difficult to read due to the writing style, I appreciate the author's attempt to keep the dialect as true to form as possible for a written medium. I did find myself having to re-read certain passages to make sense of them, but again - I understand why the author chose this particular voice.
What I found most interesting was the parallels between the stories themselves and the tales I've personally heard from tribal East Africa. Rabbit is indeed a common character in both, but more to the point he is almost the exact same caricature: a mischief maker from humble roots who somehow always manages to get out of even the worst pickles, even if that means pulling some questionable methods. Moreover, he even pulls the same kind of idly-malicious pranks that occasionally end up with somebody dead as a result... with no remorse.
In all, I feel like these tales in particular might be a cultural snapshot of the enslaved diaspora of pre-Civil-War South, still freshly familiar with the stories they inherited from their homelands while adapting them to the local fauna and climate.
Whether or not there's morals to the stories, explanations as to why certain things are as they are, or simply for amusement, the storytelling itself is probably best heard... but in a pinch, a collection like this will have to do.
What I found most interesting was the parallels between the stories themselves and the tales I've personally heard from tribal East Africa. Rabbit is indeed a common character in both, but more to the point he is almost the exact same caricature: a mischief maker from humble roots who somehow always manages to get out of even the worst pickles, even if that means pulling some questionable methods. Moreover, he even pulls the same kind of idly-malicious pranks that occasionally end up with somebody dead as a result... with no remorse.
In all, I feel like these tales in particular might be a cultural snapshot of the enslaved diaspora of pre-Civil-War South, still freshly familiar with the stories they inherited from their homelands while adapting them to the local fauna and climate.
Whether or not there's morals to the stories, explanations as to why certain things are as they are, or simply for amusement, the storytelling itself is probably best heard... but in a pinch, a collection like this will have to do.
September 15, 2009
Political correctness be damned; any childhood spent without exposure to these wonderful tales would be seriously deficient. Reading aloud is a must, though it presents extraordinary challenges at times. Here is the sort of timeless, earthy wisdom and shrewd insight into human nature which is as ancient as the hills, as valuable as gold, and a necessary and essential component of any great civilization that has arisen or will arise since before the times of Aesop and Publilius Syrus. And besides, they're just plain fun. If you won't take my word for it, just go ask Miss Meadows (whoever the dickens she is).
A.B. Frost's superb illustrations are as delightful as the stories themselves.
A.B. Frost's superb illustrations are as delightful as the stories themselves.
April 1, 2023
It's like episode after episode of Wile E. Coyote failing to best the Road Runner; gets old after a while.
February 21, 2015
These are great to read aloud with a child. (Difficult to read with the dialect, but worth it.) I do wish I could hear someone else read them well, though. Anyway, it is fascinating to read these stories and think about the relationship of this old slave to his young master. The child accepts it all so casually, but of course, he's the one writing the story. Still, he is somewhat sympathetic to his older friend and we get a portrait that is revealing despite its limitations.
I love the creative use of language. The stories about with fabulous words, but the one that immediately pops into my mind is "oozle." It's a verb to describe how smoke moves out of Uncle Remus's mouth and nose as he tells a story. This is not a misuse of an existing word, but a creative melding of ooze and drizzle that is far more descriptive than the original. The Uncle Remus character does this frequently in the stories and they enhance the telling and give him greater authority as a creator not only of stories, but of language itself.
Aside from the framework of the stories, the tales themselves are hilarious! I laughed out loud at the "Brer Rabbit Gets a Home." Others have funny moments as well, but so far, that's my favorite.
OK, having just finished the book... I don't know what happened at the end, but suddenly the stories became overtly violent and a bit less charming. They lost the give and take of the other stories and became pretty harsh. It felt almost like they were written before the earlier ones. It seemed that they hadn't been refined or something.
Still, I really enjoyed this book and the humor is perfect for the 8-10 year old crowd. The physical humor and the theme of the little guy getting away with being a weasel is very much appreciated by that age group. Makes me wonder if Looney Tunes just took Brer Rabbit straight from these tales and ran with it.
By the way, these stories are also interesting for adults. They give an insight into stories shared among slaves during difficult times. Despite having nothing of their own, as property themselves, they created a canon of stories that tell of triumph and struggle. Even in the humor, there is a tinge of sadness. Each joke comes at someone else's expense. Still, the stories grip the listener and like the boy, the reader hangs on every word to find out how it will end.
Makes me think of a quote from Toni Morrison's book, Sula: "The black people watching her would laugh and rub their knees, and it would be easy for the valley man to hear the laughter and not notice the adult pain that rested somewhere under the eyelids, somewhere under their head rags and soft felt hats, somewhere in the palm of the hand, somewhere behind the frayed lapels, somewhere in the sinew's curve." These stories, despite their surface simplicity, tell of a life that is complicated by hardship and survival and of the strength of a people that could create them in the midst of such a world.
I love the creative use of language. The stories about with fabulous words, but the one that immediately pops into my mind is "oozle." It's a verb to describe how smoke moves out of Uncle Remus's mouth and nose as he tells a story. This is not a misuse of an existing word, but a creative melding of ooze and drizzle that is far more descriptive than the original. The Uncle Remus character does this frequently in the stories and they enhance the telling and give him greater authority as a creator not only of stories, but of language itself.
Aside from the framework of the stories, the tales themselves are hilarious! I laughed out loud at the "Brer Rabbit Gets a Home." Others have funny moments as well, but so far, that's my favorite.
OK, having just finished the book... I don't know what happened at the end, but suddenly the stories became overtly violent and a bit less charming. They lost the give and take of the other stories and became pretty harsh. It felt almost like they were written before the earlier ones. It seemed that they hadn't been refined or something.
Still, I really enjoyed this book and the humor is perfect for the 8-10 year old crowd. The physical humor and the theme of the little guy getting away with being a weasel is very much appreciated by that age group. Makes me wonder if Looney Tunes just took Brer Rabbit straight from these tales and ran with it.
By the way, these stories are also interesting for adults. They give an insight into stories shared among slaves during difficult times. Despite having nothing of their own, as property themselves, they created a canon of stories that tell of triumph and struggle. Even in the humor, there is a tinge of sadness. Each joke comes at someone else's expense. Still, the stories grip the listener and like the boy, the reader hangs on every word to find out how it will end.
Makes me think of a quote from Toni Morrison's book, Sula: "The black people watching her would laugh and rub their knees, and it would be easy for the valley man to hear the laughter and not notice the adult pain that rested somewhere under the eyelids, somewhere under their head rags and soft felt hats, somewhere in the palm of the hand, somewhere behind the frayed lapels, somewhere in the sinew's curve." These stories, despite their surface simplicity, tell of a life that is complicated by hardship and survival and of the strength of a people that could create them in the midst of such a world.
September 21, 2009
I LOVE reading these stories to the kids. Nevermind PC killjoys who would have us throw out every piece of literature connected with american slavery which isn't also a protest. The stories themselves are so clever and sweet - but what makes them WONDERFUL is the pidgeon-English they're written in. This can make them challenging to read out-loud, but once you get the hang of it the spelling forces you into character and the stories come alive. I've owned this book for about 15 years and periodically pull it out to read a few of our familiar favorites to the kids (Tar Baby, Briar Patch). But I think we'll work our way through the whole book this time.
July 28, 2008
The Walt Disney film Song of he South was a favorite when I was a little girl back in the 50's. It has since become politically incorrect and so is nowhere to be found. Even so I enjoyed the Brer Rabbit stories, and will still find myself whistling or singing Zip-a-dee-do-dah.
When I visited New Orleans eleven years ago, my sister-in-law and I rented a car and visited Laura's Plantation, a French-Creole plantation where Joel Chandler Harris had recorded the Brer Rabbit stories so many years ago.
When I visited New Orleans eleven years ago, my sister-in-law and I rented a car and visited Laura's Plantation, a French-Creole plantation where Joel Chandler Harris had recorded the Brer Rabbit stories so many years ago.
July 30, 2011
When I taught English as a Second Language for the first time, to a classroom full of adults in Key West, I implemented a page of this text to illustrated how contrary our pronunciations are. To my amazement my students had no problem understanding Joel Chandler Harris' words. (My students were from all over the world)
"Ms. A, this is what Americans sound like to us."
Well I be, and all those elocution lesson have been wasted on my audience. Instantly I switched gears and spoke the more appropriate language in order to be effective in the classroom.
"Ms. A, this is what Americans sound like to us."
Well I be, and all those elocution lesson have been wasted on my audience. Instantly I switched gears and spoke the more appropriate language in order to be effective in the classroom.
November 22, 2014
My dad used to read us these stories at bedtime when we were little kids. Later we were all tickled to find the Splash Mountain ride at Disneyland is based on these characters. Not PC anymore, but the characters fun and so are their shenanigans.
January 18, 2015
I grew up on Uncle Remus so I was excited when I found this book. I will need to get another book because this book was written in "the dialect of the cotton plantations of middle Georgia" and I couldn't figure out what the stories were saying.
May 16, 2008
This is a great book. I grew up hearing the Wonderful Tar Baby story. It has been a part of my life for a long time
June 25, 2025
The Favorite Uncle Remus (Hardcover)
by Joel Chandler Harris
this book is hard to read because of the dialog and accent of the books.
by Joel Chandler Harris
this book is hard to read because of the dialog and accent of the books.
March 29, 2016
My dad used to read me the story of Brer Rabbit every night. What sweet memories of laughing at his antics!
February 23, 2018
So this was not an easy read, the language was a little difficult at first and the stories are definitely more "read aloud" than "read to yourself".
I am glad I read them though and really enjoyed the tales, though it was surprising how evil Brer Rabbit was in the end.
The stories were on their own short and sweet, and the characters needed very little character building.
It was cool seeing some similarities between other classic tales/fables and the Uncle Remus tales, and yet reading so many other stories too.
The Disney ride Splash Mountain has definitely been tamed and altered from the stories, and I really am curious as to how the movie was, though unfortunately it seems near impossible to find.
I would definitely enjoy reading these again, possibly to my future kids, saving the last few stories for when they are older.
I am glad I read them though and really enjoyed the tales, though it was surprising how evil Brer Rabbit was in the end.
The stories were on their own short and sweet, and the characters needed very little character building.
It was cool seeing some similarities between other classic tales/fables and the Uncle Remus tales, and yet reading so many other stories too.
The Disney ride Splash Mountain has definitely been tamed and altered from the stories, and I really am curious as to how the movie was, though unfortunately it seems near impossible to find.
I would definitely enjoy reading these again, possibly to my future kids, saving the last few stories for when they are older.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews