Beware the Brindlebeast

by Anita Riggio

It's autumn in England, and there are spooky things afoot! Walking home from a day of chores in the village, Birdie encounters the trickster Brindlebeast. By refusing to back down or cower in fear, Birdie brings about a most satisfying and unexpected turn of events. Based on an old English tale, the story is retold here with humor and grace.

Genres: Halloween, Picture Books, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1994

About the author

Anita Riggio was raised in Clifton, New Jersey, and holds a degree in theater from the University of Hartford. She says that as a child she entertained thoughts of becoming a detective, a reporter, an actress, a director and an artist. And today, as a children's book author and illustrator, an art instructor, a wife, and a mother of two children, Ms. Riggio says she gets to do most of those things. She has illustrated Beethoven's Cat and Wiggie Wins the West, both by Elisabet McHugh. Her first picture book, Wake Up, William!, was published by Atheneum in 1987. Ms. Riggio lives in Wethersfield, Connecticut, with her family.

Ms. Riggio is the author and illustrator of Smack Dab in the Middle, Beware the Brindlebeast, Secret Signs, A Moon in My Teacup, Gert & Freida, and Wake Up William! as well as illustrator of The Whispering Cloth, Coal Mine Peaches, Dad Gummit & Ma Foot, and other picture books. Her story "Bingo" appears Such a Pretty Face, a collection of short stories on beauty for young adults.

Anita's highly acclaimed Coveside Writing Workshops are offered annually in the fall. Additionally, Anita offers individual mentoring packages. Information may be found at www.covesidewritingworkshop.com. Anita is a faculty mentor in the MFA in Creative Writing Program at Lesley University.

Anita Riggio is the founder and producer of Fat Chance Production Group, LLC which develops and produces musical theatre. She is currently collaborating as writer and lyricist with A-list composer, Larry Farrow on Brind!ebeast, a radically inclusive, classically scored, new American musical.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Living alone in a tiny cottage outside of her small English village, Birdie worked as a cleaner for the housewives in the hamlet. The villagers always insisted that she get home before dark, lest she fall victim to the Brindlebeast, a monster said to haunt the neighborhood. One Halloween evening, on her way home, Birdie found a pot of gold in the roadway, and after stopping to look at it (quite naturally), she began to drag it home. Soon enough it turned into a barrel of apples, and then a plump pumpkin. Accepting each change philosophically, Birdie eventually arrived home, where she carved the pumpkin into a jack-o-lantern. When this Halloween decoration was transformed again, this time into the dreaded Brindlebeast, Birdie was not at all impressed...

I had never heard of author/artist Anita Riggio before I picked Beware the Brindlebeast up off my public library's Halloween display this last weekend, but I am glad to have discovered her work. I found her narrative here immensely engaging, and her artwork appealing. This is actually a somewhat revised version of a traditional English folktale from Northumberland, originally known as The Hedley Kow, and contained in Joseph Jacobs' 1904 collection, More English Fairy Tales . I don't think I have encountered this tale before (I have not read the Jacobs), so I cannot comment on the changes made by Riggio. That being said, I enjoyed her telling of the tale, with its simple, goodhearted, no-nonsense heroine, and her matter-of-fact approach to her unusual visitor. I also appreciated the vividly appealing artwork, particularly the depiction of the Brindlebeast in his monstrous form. Recommended to young folklore enthusiasts, and to picture-book readers looking for somewhat unusual Halloween stories.

[Teri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this story. The illustrations are fantastic. A must-read at Halloween time for the kiddies and the adults that are children at heart. The character of Birdie is darling. No matter what comes her way she has a positive attitude.

[Steph (loves water) · Rating 5 out of 5]

We met the author and bought a personalized copy of the book that has been a Halloween favorite since 1995. Great pictures, cute story!

[Ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my childhood favorites, I was happy to be able to snag a copy on thriftbooks, its been out of print for a long time.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story tells of an old woman, who lives in a village, where the people are afraid of the Brindlebeast. The old woman has to work for the villagers in order to live. They take advantage of her needs, and make her work early in the morning, and send her home before dark, so she doesn't run into the Brindlebeast. The villagers give her stale bread and cheese to eat. One evening the old woman finds a large pot with gold in it on her way home. She ties her shawl around it to pull it home. Part way there she finds the gold has changed to apples, and then it changes to a pumpkin. With each change she finds something to be thankful. She carves a jack o lanterns, and it changes into the Brindlebeast, which also makes several changes. The old woman stands up to each of the Brindlebeasts changes, and she shares her meager dinner with it. As she shares, her amount of food grows. She becomes friends with the beast, and he comes often to her home. To me this story tells of a woman, who goes through her old age with courage, and accepts the changes that occur in her life, and she finds the faith to be thankful for the changes, and finds comfort and friendship.

[Shelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Birdie is a poor but content old woman who earns just enough cleaning homes for the townsfolk to sustain her humble way of life. One day while heading back home through the woods she stumbles upon something that will change her life forever.

Beware the Brindlebeast is based on an old English tale retold and illustrated by Anita Riggio in a colorful and engaging way. A perfect story to share near All Hallows Eve.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the message of this book! If you have a "monster" in your life, you can see it for what it really is when you face it. Great for kids who have a tendency to be a bit fearful and anyone who needs that message.

[Jenette · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enchanting story from Early New England. A story about facing fears and being happy with what life hands you.

[Michelle Farella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute ending.

[Capn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Birdie was a cheerful old woman who lived with her marmalade cat in a bitty cottage just outside the village. She was surely poor but got along one way or another and was glad of it.

So begins a little tale of an elderly lady who gave 0 F's for folklore and superstition and was all the better off for it. Nice atmosphere and build-up, but ending is a bit, well... it's all too familiar to former naughty children who had rigged elaborate hoaxes at Halloween designed to horrify ultimately unsurprised and unsporting adults, really. XD

The Brindlebeast seems happy enough, but I sympathized with its disappointment.

Not great for reading to young children - page spreads are 2 illustrations, then 2 pages of text, then two illustrations... editors should be shot for such lapses!!!

Free borrow from OpenLibrary.

[Molly Cluff (Library!) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the old-timey charm of this Halloween folktale! An old lady is warned of a shapeshifting creature that will get her if she is out after dark. She encounters some mysterious objects on the way home (gold! apples! a pumpkin!) and then her jack-o-lantern turns into the fearsome creature--the horrifying Brindlebeast! The ending was super adorable with the sassy old lady befriending the beast and them becoming old friends. This was very much a "cozy by the fire" sort of autumn tale that's perfect for a gather round family storytime.

[Jbondandrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderfully sweet book with beautiful illustrations.

[Cakester · Rating 4 out of 5]

So cute, a nice halloween tale that steps out of the normal halloween stereotypes

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

We're reading this book a bit early, but as the weather is starting to turn cool, it feels like an autumn evening and this book helps get us in the mood for Halloween. The story is dramatic and entertaining and we loved the ending. The illustrations are colorful and complement the story nicely.

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was so good I fell asleep.