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Jim Henson's The Storyteller
Jim Henson's The Storyteller: Tricksters
Four tales of the greatest rogues up to mythological mischief inspired by visionary Jim Henson’s beloved television series.
WHO IS THE GREATEST MISCHIEF MAKER OF ALL TIME? Is it the King of Stories, Anansi? Or Eshu, the Nigerian trickster god? Perhaps Thor’s infamous brother, Loki? Or cunning Reynard the Fox? Discover these legendary tricksters and judge for yourself through the lens of The Storyteller as he regales his faithful canine companion… and you! Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: Tricksters showcases four clever tales of mischief makers and the lessons they teach us. Each one inspired by folklore from around the world and told in the spirit of Jim Henson’s beloved television series by some of today’s most exciting voices including New York Times bestselling author Jordan Ifueko (Raybearer) and artist Erin Kubo (The Christmas Creature), Nebula and Hugo Award winning author Amal El-Mohtar (This is How You Lose the Time War) with illustrations by Isa Hanssen, graphic novelist Robin Robinson (The City on The Other Side) and artist A.L. Kaplan (Full-Spectrum Therapy), and comic book writer Jonathan Rivera (Cave Carson has a Cybernetic Eye) and illustrator Jade Zhang. Collects Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: Tricksters #1-4.
WHO IS THE GREATEST MISCHIEF MAKER OF ALL TIME? Is it the King of Stories, Anansi? Or Eshu, the Nigerian trickster god? Perhaps Thor’s infamous brother, Loki? Or cunning Reynard the Fox? Discover these legendary tricksters and judge for yourself through the lens of The Storyteller as he regales his faithful canine companion… and you! Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: Tricksters showcases four clever tales of mischief makers and the lessons they teach us. Each one inspired by folklore from around the world and told in the spirit of Jim Henson’s beloved television series by some of today’s most exciting voices including New York Times bestselling author Jordan Ifueko (Raybearer) and artist Erin Kubo (The Christmas Creature), Nebula and Hugo Award winning author Amal El-Mohtar (This is How You Lose the Time War) with illustrations by Isa Hanssen, graphic novelist Robin Robinson (The City on The Other Side) and artist A.L. Kaplan (Full-Spectrum Therapy), and comic book writer Jonathan Rivera (Cave Carson has a Cybernetic Eye) and illustrator Jade Zhang. Collects Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: Tricksters #1-4.
112 pages, Hardcover
First published November 30, 2021
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If an editor is known, however, Various is not necessary. List the name of the editor as the primary author (with role "editor"). Contributing authors' names follow it.
Note: WorldCat is an excellent resource for finding author information and contents of anthologies.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
April 14, 2023
I used to really enjoy these "Storyteller" volumes, but it just feel like its on auto-pilot now. I didn't discover any new artists to checkout here and non of the stories were very interesting.
I'll eventually have to check out more episodes of the TV show. But for now I think I'm done with this series.
I'll eventually have to check out more episodes of the TV show. But for now I think I'm done with this series.
January 18, 2022
This is a graphic novel anthology all about different trickster figures within different mythologies, folktales etc. Each trickster is so different and each author really made each story their own I think. I knew at least a little about the origins of each of the four tricksters in this book. However I think this could be a great book to pick up and then go searching for sources of these stories.
First is The Spinner of Stories. It was written by Jonathan Rivera and drawn by Jade Zhang. It's a story of Anansi that actually combines several of his stories. I liked the way Anansi was shown to be more than one thing. While he wasn't what I would call virtuous he wasn't evil either, though. His schemes ultimately led humans receiving the gift of stories, though. I love to see stories with him and I'll be on the look out for more in the future.
The next story is The Heart that Beats Forever. It was written by Jordan Ifueko and drawn by Erin Kubo. This story is actually what originally got me interested in this book. I've read and loved Jordan Ifueko's Raybearer series and I wanted to see what else they'd done. I loved this story and I'm so glad I picked this up. It's a romance between a girl and the trickster Eshu. It's very magical and also not entirely what I was expecting.
A Tale of Two Markets is the third story. It's written by Amal El-Mohtar and drawn by Isa Hanssen. It's a story of Reynard the fox. He makes a bet and manages to win the bet through very underhanded means. Although his tricks might have caught up to him in the end. This one had a very familiar fairytale vibe which was really nice.
Loki The Matchmaker is the final story. It was written by Robin Kaplan and drawn by A.L. Kaplan. Of the stories I know the most about Loki. So it was interesting to see simultaneously such a fresh and traditional take on Loki. In this story Loki really questions gender expectations even for a mighty god like Thor. I thought it was very interesting to see how this was done in such a short story.
I didn't realize at the time how many other volumes of this series there already are. I'm definitely going to pick up the rest as soon as I can.
First is The Spinner of Stories. It was written by Jonathan Rivera and drawn by Jade Zhang. It's a story of Anansi that actually combines several of his stories. I liked the way Anansi was shown to be more than one thing. While he wasn't what I would call virtuous he wasn't evil either, though. His schemes ultimately led humans receiving the gift of stories, though. I love to see stories with him and I'll be on the look out for more in the future.
The next story is The Heart that Beats Forever. It was written by Jordan Ifueko and drawn by Erin Kubo. This story is actually what originally got me interested in this book. I've read and loved Jordan Ifueko's Raybearer series and I wanted to see what else they'd done. I loved this story and I'm so glad I picked this up. It's a romance between a girl and the trickster Eshu. It's very magical and also not entirely what I was expecting.
A Tale of Two Markets is the third story. It's written by Amal El-Mohtar and drawn by Isa Hanssen. It's a story of Reynard the fox. He makes a bet and manages to win the bet through very underhanded means. Although his tricks might have caught up to him in the end. This one had a very familiar fairytale vibe which was really nice.
Loki The Matchmaker is the final story. It was written by Robin Kaplan and drawn by A.L. Kaplan. Of the stories I know the most about Loki. So it was interesting to see simultaneously such a fresh and traditional take on Loki. In this story Loki really questions gender expectations even for a mighty god like Thor. I thought it was very interesting to see how this was done in such a short story.
I didn't realize at the time how many other volumes of this series there already are. I'm definitely going to pick up the rest as soon as I can.
March 2, 2024
"A real storyteller only uses lies to tell the truth."
Tricksters was the last volume of The Storyteller series that I had left to read (I haven't been able to get my hands on the dragons volume). As with the original television series, what I have loved about this series of books is that you are able to discover folklore and tales from all across the world. With the books, I have also loved discovering different authors and artists.
As with all collections, there are going to be some tales which you find more successful than the others. For me, the weakest of the stories was the last one, Loki the Matchmaker. My favourites were A Tale of Two Markets - which featured beautiful artwork - and A Heat that Beats Forever.
I liked that the storyteller and his dog featured in theses tales, at the beginning and end of the tales, and sometimes during the tales, so that it gave you echoes of the TV series.
I have loved discovering this series. All of the volumes that I have will remain as part of my collection. All of them are like little slices of my childhood, taking me back to when John Hurt would sit by the fire and begin his tale.
Tricksters was the last volume of The Storyteller series that I had left to read (I haven't been able to get my hands on the dragons volume). As with the original television series, what I have loved about this series of books is that you are able to discover folklore and tales from all across the world. With the books, I have also loved discovering different authors and artists.
As with all collections, there are going to be some tales which you find more successful than the others. For me, the weakest of the stories was the last one, Loki the Matchmaker. My favourites were A Tale of Two Markets - which featured beautiful artwork - and A Heat that Beats Forever.
I liked that the storyteller and his dog featured in theses tales, at the beginning and end of the tales, and sometimes during the tales, so that it gave you echoes of the TV series.
I have loved discovering this series. All of the volumes that I have will remain as part of my collection. All of them are like little slices of my childhood, taking me back to when John Hurt would sit by the fire and begin his tale.
July 17, 2022
Oh what a fine collection of stories. Is there any archetype as charming as the the trickster? These puckish cads who act as movers and shakers for the gods and heroes alike? Whose esteem are only matched by the consternation that they mete out to people?
Based on the fabulous Jim Henson's The StoryTeller show, here you are receiving four stories. They include Anansi, Eshu, Reynard the fox, and Loki (no Puck, sadly). In addition to these eclectic batch of stories are the fantastic art. All wonderfully illustrated, but I particularly liked the cartoonish look of Reynard's story.
Maybe I should check out the other books in the series? Really pleased with this. A real bible to my relgion.
Based on the fabulous Jim Henson's The StoryTeller show, here you are receiving four stories. They include Anansi, Eshu, Reynard the fox, and Loki (no Puck, sadly). In addition to these eclectic batch of stories are the fantastic art. All wonderfully illustrated, but I particularly liked the cartoonish look of Reynard's story.
Maybe I should check out the other books in the series? Really pleased with this. A real bible to my relgion.
April 23, 2021
That’s a nice one.
December 29, 2022
Im not saying it doesn’t deserve 5 stars but i am saying that some of you 5-star reviewers may simply be furries who want to sleep with the fox. Someone had to say it.
May 29, 2025
As someone who love learning about tricksters in mythology, I really loved reading this. The main narrator and dog that connected each tale were hilarious in their interactions, and I loved learning about the different cultures on display.
January 13, 2022
Love tricksters such as Anansi, Reynard, and Loki.
July 27, 2022
3.5/5
Okayish story.
Okayish story.
July 26, 2023
Fool me once, shame on you
I believe I have mentioned this in the past but there is a certain charm to these hardcover compilations of the themed Jim Henson Storyteller comics. With a solid hardcover these books sport not only an interesting image representative of the subject matter but also an assortment of gold foiling as well giving the books a more magical feel before you even read them. Of course once you finish with the stories you can not only get a profile of those that helped create the tales but also some insight in their creative process about parts of the stories found within.
Now for a quick summery of the 4 stories found within this book. :)
The Spinner of Stories "A hybrid tale based on three stories that came out of West Africa about the Spider Anansi."
A Heart that Beats Forever "Also out of West Africa we see a tale about the the god of change and mischief, Eshu, and the girl who caught his attention."
A Tale if Two Markets A tale of Reynard the Fox as he tries his hand at at giant sales."
Loki the Matchmaker "Woe be to the mighty Thor for his hammer, Mjolnir has gone missing. Thankfully tricky Loki has an idea that brings glamor to Asgard."
All of the stories are well drawn with their own styles but of the 4 tales I would have to say "A Tale of Two Markets" is probably one of my favorites with its bold colors and nice design while "The Spinner of Stories is a close second with the origin of wisdom and storytelling really capturing my imagination. "A Heart that Beats Forever" was an interesting story but the fact that the storyteller meets a visitor that shares her story with him is a nice change of pace and "Loki the Matchmaker", although one of my favorite Norse lore, looked like a tribute to David Bowie which may be good or bad depending on if you like that style. Hopefully you will find your own favorite as we come to the end of another episode of the Storyteller. :)
I believe I have mentioned this in the past but there is a certain charm to these hardcover compilations of the themed Jim Henson Storyteller comics. With a solid hardcover these books sport not only an interesting image representative of the subject matter but also an assortment of gold foiling as well giving the books a more magical feel before you even read them. Of course once you finish with the stories you can not only get a profile of those that helped create the tales but also some insight in their creative process about parts of the stories found within.
Now for a quick summery of the 4 stories found within this book. :)
The Spinner of Stories "A hybrid tale based on three stories that came out of West Africa about the Spider Anansi."
A Heart that Beats Forever "Also out of West Africa we see a tale about the the god of change and mischief, Eshu, and the girl who caught his attention."
A Tale if Two Markets A tale of Reynard the Fox as he tries his hand at at giant sales."
Loki the Matchmaker "Woe be to the mighty Thor for his hammer, Mjolnir has gone missing. Thankfully tricky Loki has an idea that brings glamor to Asgard."
All of the stories are well drawn with their own styles but of the 4 tales I would have to say "A Tale of Two Markets" is probably one of my favorites with its bold colors and nice design while "The Spinner of Stories is a close second with the origin of wisdom and storytelling really capturing my imagination. "A Heart that Beats Forever" was an interesting story but the fact that the storyteller meets a visitor that shares her story with him is a nice change of pace and "Loki the Matchmaker", although one of my favorite Norse lore, looked like a tribute to David Bowie which may be good or bad depending on if you like that style. Hopefully you will find your own favorite as we come to the end of another episode of the Storyteller. :)
June 29, 2022
4.5 stars! I was so excited to read this because, hello, Jordan Ifueko and Amal El-Mohtar writing trickster tales? Yes, please. As a lifelong devourer of mythology and folklore, it made me so happy to reunite with Anansi, Eshu, Reynard, and Loki in one spiffy book. And while I know I just called out two specific authors, I really enjoyed everyone's contributions to this wonderful little volume—the diversity in trickster stories, originality in storytelling, and variety of art styles were all great. Even the intros by each author were insightful and interesting to read!
My favorite story of the bunch was the story of Eshu and Oyinlolla though. Between Ifueko's thoughtful and deliberate-yet-effortless storytelling, and Erin Kubo's expressive character art and gorgeous indigo washes, this one was an absolute banger. How this duo managed to cram so much thoughtful storytelling, heart, and joy into a mere 22 pages is beyond my comprehension. While every good trickster story usually leaves me smiling, this one left me utterly beaming.
Additionally, Isa Hanssen's nuanced compositions, dynamic character portrayals, and sunny palette in the Reynard story also deserve a shout-out. The energy she brought to this story was spot-on; evocative and wicked fun.
That said, I really appreciated the imaginative and innovative takes that each writer and artist presented in such a short volume. It can be so difficult to make something feel both familiar and fresh, and everyone succeeded here in spades. What a delight of a read!
My favorite story of the bunch was the story of Eshu and Oyinlolla though. Between Ifueko's thoughtful and deliberate-yet-effortless storytelling, and Erin Kubo's expressive character art and gorgeous indigo washes, this one was an absolute banger. How this duo managed to cram so much thoughtful storytelling, heart, and joy into a mere 22 pages is beyond my comprehension. While every good trickster story usually leaves me smiling, this one left me utterly beaming.
Additionally, Isa Hanssen's nuanced compositions, dynamic character portrayals, and sunny palette in the Reynard story also deserve a shout-out. The energy she brought to this story was spot-on; evocative and wicked fun.
That said, I really appreciated the imaginative and innovative takes that each writer and artist presented in such a short volume. It can be so difficult to make something feel both familiar and fresh, and everyone succeeded here in spades. What a delight of a read!
January 6, 2022
A real storyteller only uses lies to tell the truth.
Top to bottom, just fantastic art and very strong adaptations/combinations of myths. Loki and Thor take you on what looks like an 80s Heavy Metal adventure through cosmic fantasy, and Reynard and Stork bring a charming children’s book style with some expertly-applied edge.
My favourite was Eshu’s story. As noted in the author’s note, West African mythology doesn’t make you immediately think of meet-cutes and romances—I don’t really, if ever, see those kinds of stories carried over—but this one is now one of my favourite myths in general. It’s clever, sweet, and retold with such charm!
March 21, 2022
Another excellent collection of stories. Once again the diversity of the origins of the stories really stands out and the varied art styles come together to make an entrancing kaleidoscope of color and geometry. The focus on trickster figures was a lot of fun, and it was especially nice seeing versions of Anansi and Loki that were a little more like their source material and a little less like the more mainstream versions that we're all familiar with.
April 29, 2024
Somehow, I think this has ended up being my favorite entry in this series. Maybe part of it is my lack of annoyance at the stories not matching the theme; or put another way, tricksters are defined more by what they do than what they are, so all of the stories in this collection definitely feature tricksters, whereas the stories in some of the other books in this series don't always fit so well. And maybe it is partly that tricksters are just fun, and the creators of these stories do a good job of depicting them and their contrary ways, equally likely to finagle their way out of trouble or ever deeper into it.
"The Spinner of Stories"-- Anansi is a classic choice for trickster stories, and I like how the author weaves together at least two different tales. I like how Anansi and his son are drawn as sort of spider-centaurs (driders in D&D parlance). I think the only weakness is in the episode with the python Ntikuma where the palm tree branch looks far to fragile to hold the great snake; I wonder if there is a different visual that would be known in the context of the original story?
"A Heart that Beats Forever"-- This is a fun story that touches on a bit of lore and myth with which I am largely unfamiliar. I do wonder about the idea of people marked by the gods as obviously as they are in the story; that feels more like part of the setting description in the cover blurb of a fantasy novel than a real belief, and I'm curious about its antecedents. Again, the art is quite good and I like the watercolor effect of both Eshu's wispy, shadowy hair and clothes as well as the indigo cloths.
"A Tale of Two Markets"-- From what I can tell, this is not a retelling of any specific story but one the author created herself. But it does such a good job of utilizing the sorts of motifs and vignettes associated with Reynard and similar fables that it feels like it could just be some long-told tale.
"Loki the Matchmaker"-- Flipping through this book before I read it, this was my least favorite art; I just don't like the style and the sort of retro-cosmic 80's comic vibes of it. But actually reading the story I found it less irksome than expected, and the story is well told; and the style actually works for how it evokes something like Marvel's Thor and a band of brawling warriors enjoying a good fight with some giants.
"The Spinner of Stories"-- Anansi is a classic choice for trickster stories, and I like how the author weaves together at least two different tales. I like how Anansi and his son are drawn as sort of spider-centaurs (driders in D&D parlance). I think the only weakness is in the episode with the python Ntikuma where the palm tree branch looks far to fragile to hold the great snake; I wonder if there is a different visual that would be known in the context of the original story?
"A Heart that Beats Forever"-- This is a fun story that touches on a bit of lore and myth with which I am largely unfamiliar. I do wonder about the idea of people marked by the gods as obviously as they are in the story; that feels more like part of the setting description in the cover blurb of a fantasy novel than a real belief, and I'm curious about its antecedents. Again, the art is quite good and I like the watercolor effect of both Eshu's wispy, shadowy hair and clothes as well as the indigo cloths.
"A Tale of Two Markets"-- From what I can tell, this is not a retelling of any specific story but one the author created herself. But it does such a good job of utilizing the sorts of motifs and vignettes associated with Reynard and similar fables that it feels like it could just be some long-told tale.
"Loki the Matchmaker"-- Flipping through this book before I read it, this was my least favorite art; I just don't like the style and the sort of retro-cosmic 80's comic vibes of it. But actually reading the story I found it less irksome than expected, and the story is well told; and the style actually works for how it evokes something like Marvel's Thor and a band of brawling warriors enjoying a good fight with some giants.
October 10, 2022
Another really great collection of stories. I loved learning more about these tricksters that I have heard about countless times before. Also, learning about a new one in “A Heart That Beats Forever.” I do hope that they continue on with the Jim Henson’s The Storyteller series eventually because I have really enjoyed reading these over the year. They are a lot of fun.
“The Spinner of Stories” Story by Jonathan Rivera and Art by Jade Zhang- ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The trickster that this story focuses on is Anansi who is The King of Stories. I have heard a lot about him over the years but have never really read any stories with him in it. Next year, I plan on reading American Gods by Neil Gaiman and I know that he plays a role in that. It’ll be interesting to see what form he takes in that. This story was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed seeing both Anansi and his son Ntikuma and the mischief that they pulled.
“A Heart That Beats Forever” Story by Jordan Ifueko and Art by Erin Kubo- ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This story focused on a god that I have never heard anything about before Eshu, God of Change, Cunning, and Chaos. I enjoyed the way this one was told. Instead of it being the storyteller this time around, it was told by a visitor that he had to his house. I won’t spoil what happens in the tale as a whole but I was surprised a bit in the ending which was a lot of fun. Also, the artwork in this story was beautiful the look at.
“A Tale of Two Markets” Story by Amal El-Mohtan and Art by Isa Hanssen- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“A Tale of Two Markets” was my favorite out of the collection. First, of all the artwork in this story was wonderful. I love how it fit so well with what was going on in the story and the characters themselves. This was a story that I have read a version of before. That did not change my enjoyment in it though. It follows a fox named Reynard, who tricks other animals into giving him stuff. I loved the ending in this one and how he used Stork in his plans.
“Loki the Matchmaker” Story by Robin Kaplan and Art by A. L. Kaplan - ⭐⭐
The only story from the volume that I didn’t enjoy that much. I know a good amount of the tales from Norse Mythology and this is one of my least favorites of the group that show Loki’s trickster ways.
“The Spinner of Stories” Story by Jonathan Rivera and Art by Jade Zhang- ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The trickster that this story focuses on is Anansi who is The King of Stories. I have heard a lot about him over the years but have never really read any stories with him in it. Next year, I plan on reading American Gods by Neil Gaiman and I know that he plays a role in that. It’ll be interesting to see what form he takes in that. This story was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed seeing both Anansi and his son Ntikuma and the mischief that they pulled.
“A Heart That Beats Forever” Story by Jordan Ifueko and Art by Erin Kubo- ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This story focused on a god that I have never heard anything about before Eshu, God of Change, Cunning, and Chaos. I enjoyed the way this one was told. Instead of it being the storyteller this time around, it was told by a visitor that he had to his house. I won’t spoil what happens in the tale as a whole but I was surprised a bit in the ending which was a lot of fun. Also, the artwork in this story was beautiful the look at.
“A Tale of Two Markets” Story by Amal El-Mohtan and Art by Isa Hanssen- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“A Tale of Two Markets” was my favorite out of the collection. First, of all the artwork in this story was wonderful. I love how it fit so well with what was going on in the story and the characters themselves. This was a story that I have read a version of before. That did not change my enjoyment in it though. It follows a fox named Reynard, who tricks other animals into giving him stuff. I loved the ending in this one and how he used Stork in his plans.
“Loki the Matchmaker” Story by Robin Kaplan and Art by A. L. Kaplan - ⭐⭐
The only story from the volume that I didn’t enjoy that much. I know a good amount of the tales from Norse Mythology and this is one of my least favorites of the group that show Loki’s trickster ways.
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January 15, 20221 :
IN THE BEGINNING, HUMANKIND WAS BLAND AND FORMLESS, MOVING THROUGH THE WORLD WITH NO MORE DISTINCTION THAN LUMPS OF CLAY.
HOWEVER, THROUGH THEIR INTELLIGENCE, THEY BEGAN TO MASTER THIS WORLD.
...BUT BURDENED WITH A STUBBORNNESS THAT SLOWED THE PASSING OF KNOWLEDGE.
("THEY HOLD BETTER THIS WAY, SEE?"
"AWAY WITH YOU! PEST!")
Dog : "WHY WOULDN'T THEY JUST LISTEN TO EACH OTHER?"
Storytellers : "WELL, DO YOU LIKE BEING TOLD WHAT TO DO?
PAWS OFF THE TABLE, PLEASE."
—
A WISE MAN ONCE TOLD ME, "IT IS GOOD TO BE FIERCE, AND IT IS GOOD TO HAVE PRIDE, BUT GREAT CARE SHOULD BE TAKEN WHEN THE TWO ARE MIXED."
3 :
Reynard : oh ? BUYING OR SELLING?
Strok : Selling-I'M CLEARING SOME BOOKS FROM MY LIBRARY.
Reynard : STORYBOOKS?
Strok : Tsch NO. PROPER BOOKS, BOOKS OF KNOWLEDGE. MEDICINE SPECIFICALLY.
Reynard : BUT STORIES ARE MEDICINE FOR THE SOUL!
Strok : THE SOUL HAS NOT BEEN PROVEN CONCLUSIVELY TO EXIST.
—
Storyteller : BUT THAT'S A STORY FOR ANOTHER DAY. THE POINT IS, REYNARD TOLD GREAT STORIES, AND STORK TOLD PLAIN FACTS, BUT NEITHER OF THEM WAS ASTORYTELLER.
REYNARD'S STORIES WERE LIES TO CHEAT AND SWINDLE PEOPLE. A REAL STORYTELLER ONLY USES LIES TO TELL THE TRUTH.
IN THE BEGINNING, HUMANKIND WAS BLAND AND FORMLESS, MOVING THROUGH THE WORLD WITH NO MORE DISTINCTION THAN LUMPS OF CLAY.
HOWEVER, THROUGH THEIR INTELLIGENCE, THEY BEGAN TO MASTER THIS WORLD.
...BUT BURDENED WITH A STUBBORNNESS THAT SLOWED THE PASSING OF KNOWLEDGE.
("THEY HOLD BETTER THIS WAY, SEE?"
"AWAY WITH YOU! PEST!")
Dog : "WHY WOULDN'T THEY JUST LISTEN TO EACH OTHER?"
Storytellers : "WELL, DO YOU LIKE BEING TOLD WHAT TO DO?
PAWS OFF THE TABLE, PLEASE."
—
A WISE MAN ONCE TOLD ME, "IT IS GOOD TO BE FIERCE, AND IT IS GOOD TO HAVE PRIDE, BUT GREAT CARE SHOULD BE TAKEN WHEN THE TWO ARE MIXED."
3 :
Reynard : oh ? BUYING OR SELLING?
Strok : Selling-I'M CLEARING SOME BOOKS FROM MY LIBRARY.
Reynard : STORYBOOKS?
Strok : Tsch NO. PROPER BOOKS, BOOKS OF KNOWLEDGE. MEDICINE SPECIFICALLY.
Reynard : BUT STORIES ARE MEDICINE FOR THE SOUL!
Strok : THE SOUL HAS NOT BEEN PROVEN CONCLUSIVELY TO EXIST.
—
Storyteller : BUT THAT'S A STORY FOR ANOTHER DAY. THE POINT IS, REYNARD TOLD GREAT STORIES, AND STORK TOLD PLAIN FACTS, BUT NEITHER OF THEM WAS ASTORYTELLER.
REYNARD'S STORIES WERE LIES TO CHEAT AND SWINDLE PEOPLE. A REAL STORYTELLER ONLY USES LIES TO TELL THE TRUTH.
October 12, 2024
This book was actually a lot better than I thought it was going to be. I wasn't sure what I was getting into when I jumped into this. All I knew was that Jordan Ifueko, an author I'm currently reading, wrote a story in it. And her story isn't actually my favorite, surprisingly.
The story that really stood out to me, and is now one of my favorites, was "A Tale of Two Markets," written by Amal El-Mohtar, and illustrated by Isa Hanssen. It was so unbelievably good. From the amazing artwork to the cunning fox Reynard and his mischief, I enjoyed everything about it. It really felt like a whimsical, cozy fairy tale. It honestly deserves more praise.
The other stories were good too, but they didn't stand out as much as Reynard. All of them went into different cultures and spun fairy tales.
All in all, this was such a cozy read, and I really enjoyed it. I would suggest it to anyone who loves cozy fairy tales as much as I do.
The story that really stood out to me, and is now one of my favorites, was "A Tale of Two Markets," written by Amal El-Mohtar, and illustrated by Isa Hanssen. It was so unbelievably good. From the amazing artwork to the cunning fox Reynard and his mischief, I enjoyed everything about it. It really felt like a whimsical, cozy fairy tale. It honestly deserves more praise.
The other stories were good too, but they didn't stand out as much as Reynard. All of them went into different cultures and spun fairy tales.
All in all, this was such a cozy read, and I really enjoyed it. I would suggest it to anyone who loves cozy fairy tales as much as I do.
December 26, 2021
I read this book with my five-and-a-half-year-old twins, who really enjoyed it. The vocabulary was a little advanced for them, so I had to "translate" some of the material into more kid-friendly language when they asked what things meant. One of them liked the Anansi story the best, and the other the Reynard the Fox story. I enjoyed the Loki story most. I appreciated the different art styles and especially the fact that this book did not just tick to European stories but rather covered stories from multiple different cultures from around the globe. As someone who enjoys fairy tales, myths, and fables, I will be looking into other volumes of this series.
September 22, 2024
In the Storyteller series, we finally come to one of my favorite archetypes, the trickster character! They are creators, they are destroyers, they are creative, they are cunning, and always contrary to keep others on their toes. We see African trickster characters humbled and caught in their own tricks. We see trickster, Reynard, take up challenges to make money out of nothing, but air. We see a trickster, such as Loki, in thea cosmic fantasy glam style comic, help out his fellow Norse gods and goddesses (obviously before Ragnarok). They just are fun, unpredictable characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 31, 2024
This might be my favorite Boom! series of all, though it has some great competition. I remember the show well and while it had an all-too-short run, these stories really evoke the feeling of the original.
This one, about tricksters, is of course a personal favorite among the minis, because, well, it's about tricksters!
These are great and well worth seeking out, even if you have no ties to the original TV show or even Henson. They stand well on their own.
This one, about tricksters, is of course a personal favorite among the minis, because, well, it's about tricksters!
These are great and well worth seeking out, even if you have no ties to the original TV show or even Henson. They stand well on their own.
February 3, 2022
Very interesting read. Really enjoyed the artwork and the blurbs at the beginning about the creation of the story. Also enjoyed the wide variety of cultural stories! Some I remember hearing as a child, and didn't remember until reliving them here.
August 7, 2023
Loved it. It would’ve been 5 stars but for one weird translation of the text to an image that I couldn’t tell if it was an accident, intentional, or an accident that was left on purpose bc the writer liked it.
December 27, 2021
So sweet and short and fun! I might have to collect the whole set now.
February 4, 2022
A very strong collection of stories. Arguably my favorite because they match the tone of the original The Storyteller stories by Jim Henson
March 20, 2022
Jim Henson's The Storyteller books are fantastic!
November 3, 2022
I knew most of these stories; I enjoyed the Eshu one best, that was new to me. The artwork is lovely, and trickster tales never get old.
March 24, 2024
Loved this, even though sometimes there's a miss in these 4 stories, I still enjoy them because each story has a different artist and illustrator.
May 19, 2022
I think this was one of the strongest of these comics collections as each story stood on its own with beautiful art. I liked the variety of tales from Africa to Europe and how none of them were quite as expected. This is a lovely series of comics and I enjoy reading the new ones that are out there.
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