What do you think?
Rate this book
Ferradiddledumday: An Appalachian Version of Rumpelstiltskin
Features a Study & Discussion Guide on the following LITERATURE - GEOGRAPHY - HISTORY - SCIENCE. Suitable for 4th-6th Grade students or as a Storytime selection for 1st-3rd Grades. (A popular story with Storytelling Guilds and regular feature in the Ferrum College Appalachian Lit Studies program.)
59 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
1 person is currently reading
8 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 20, 2024
Not a bad retelling really, kind of simple with a few random changes. I really do enjoy seeing the different versions of Rumpelstiltskin because if you've noticed it's one of my most favourite stories when it comes to fairytales and folk tales.
Even the horror versions are literally perfect in my eyes, bring on the movies.
Anyway, back to the review.
Cute and easy to read, I think anyone would enjoy the variations.
Even the horror versions are literally perfect in my eyes, bring on the movies.
Anyway, back to the review.
Cute and easy to read, I think anyone would enjoy the variations.
September 18, 2010
Becky Mushko is my favorite local writer. Several years ago I reviewed some of her earlier books for another project, and I've been keeping up with her through her blog. She is witty and clever and has a lively sense of humor. Many of her books are historical in nature and read like fictional biographies of people in our area. Becky captures the sense of place that runs deep in the hearts of mountain people.
Ferradiddledumday is my favorite of her books so far. An Appalachian retelling of the fairy tale favorite Rumplestiltskin, Ferrradiddledumday is set in the Blue Ridge Mountains, on a subsistence farm sometime in the past. Gillie, the young heroine, must come up with a way to help her father save the farm. When she's approached by a magical little stranger, she agrees to his terms when he says he can help her because she just can't imagine ever leaving her beautiful Blue Ridge Mountain home.
Becky makes capturing the flavor and ancient magic of the Blue Ridge seem easy in her flowing prose. Walking in the woods in these old mountains on a silent summer day, it's easy to imagine that a fairy might lurk in the deep shadows of a laurel thicket, or something unknown might be watching from a tumble of rocks. Ferrradiddledumday's descriptions portray those feelings and set the scene for a magic tale that is timeless. Although this is an original book, the style is very much in the tradition of mountain storytelling such as The Jack Tales. There are few things more important to mountain people than a sense of story.
I also loved the illustrations by Bruce Rae. They are beautiful and convey the sense of the story and the mountains. I was particularly charmed by the illustrations that include the spinning wheel that Gillie uses. It is a Great Wheel, sometimes called a wool wheel, with a spindle (if Becky ever does Sleeping Beauty this is the wheel she would use) rather than a flyer. This would have been the wheel used in this area at a certain point in time for spinning wool, and the fact that it is shown outdoors or in an outbuilding while used is also correct. Mountain houses were small back in the day, with little room for a large spinning wheel. In many cases an entire room of the house could be dedicated to the wheel or loom. While some people used a flax wheel for spinning wool, it makes sense that Gillie would have had a Great Wheel.
Ferradiddledumday is my favorite of her books so far. An Appalachian retelling of the fairy tale favorite Rumplestiltskin, Ferrradiddledumday is set in the Blue Ridge Mountains, on a subsistence farm sometime in the past. Gillie, the young heroine, must come up with a way to help her father save the farm. When she's approached by a magical little stranger, she agrees to his terms when he says he can help her because she just can't imagine ever leaving her beautiful Blue Ridge Mountain home.
Becky makes capturing the flavor and ancient magic of the Blue Ridge seem easy in her flowing prose. Walking in the woods in these old mountains on a silent summer day, it's easy to imagine that a fairy might lurk in the deep shadows of a laurel thicket, or something unknown might be watching from a tumble of rocks. Ferrradiddledumday's descriptions portray those feelings and set the scene for a magic tale that is timeless. Although this is an original book, the style is very much in the tradition of mountain storytelling such as The Jack Tales. There are few things more important to mountain people than a sense of story.
I also loved the illustrations by Bruce Rae. They are beautiful and convey the sense of the story and the mountains. I was particularly charmed by the illustrations that include the spinning wheel that Gillie uses. It is a Great Wheel, sometimes called a wool wheel, with a spindle (if Becky ever does Sleeping Beauty this is the wheel she would use) rather than a flyer. This would have been the wheel used in this area at a certain point in time for spinning wool, and the fact that it is shown outdoors or in an outbuilding while used is also correct. Mountain houses were small back in the day, with little room for a large spinning wheel. In many cases an entire room of the house could be dedicated to the wheel or loom. While some people used a flax wheel for spinning wool, it makes sense that Gillie would have had a Great Wheel.
May 18, 2020
Ferradiddledumday is a variation of Rumpelstiltskin set in Appalachia. I discovered the story on SurLaLune’s website and then was able to find the text via Amazon Kindle Unlimited. As someone who has spent a significant amount of time in the Appalachian mountains, the author transports you there with the use of the native trees and plants. The story stayed very true to the original.
August 5, 2018
Great local lore
This will say that it’s written by Lana Whited, but it’s actually by Katherine Grimes in Lana’s account. The book is a charming retelling of Rumplestiltskin. I love the Appalachian references especially.
This will say that it’s written by Lana Whited, but it’s actually by Katherine Grimes in Lana’s account. The book is a charming retelling of Rumplestiltskin. I love the Appalachian references especially.
June 2, 2022
A very interesting read! Lots of history and geography in this cute little book. My kids loved it and I love the study and discussion guide in the back!
February 3, 2013
Ferraiddledumday is the Blue Ridge version, or Appalachian version, of the original Rumplestiltskin. In this story, the main character is a well-known wool spinner, enjoying her life in the mountains. However, a hailstorm hits, and she is in danger of loosing her farm, and everything that allows her and her family to profit from their crafts. Then, the magic comes into play, and she comes across an eccentric man, who will eventually give her the power to spin wool into gold. She must eventually repay the favor, but it is unknown as to how she will do it! With beautiful and realistic illustrations, readers will love this version of Rumplestiltskin. The story is a quick read, but still includes enough detail for readers to get to know the main characters, and feel suspense and excitement throughout the story! This version of the traditional story would be great for students who could relate to living in the mountains, or on a farm, and who know the importance of weather as it affects their family's livelihood.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews