The Adventures of Molly Whuppie and other Appalachian Folktales

THE ADVENTURES OF MOLLY WHUPPIE AND OTHER APPALACHIAN FOLKTALES; Anne Shelby; Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press, 2007; 88 pgs. Nonfiction/Folktales

Anne Shelby, a writer and professional storyteller, has got the voice just right in her collection of Southern Mountain tales about Molly, Jack, and an assortment of silly and fantastical creatures. Combining a character from the British tradition (Molly Whuppie) with crafty Jack of the South, she tells laugh out loud stories based on folk traditions of the region. Molly is a redoubtable young woman, not afraid of anything, and always willing to help. She is rewarded for her kindness with grand adventures and treasure to share. In other stories, the Gingerbread Man is transformed into a Pone of Cornbread, who runs away from Teddy Mouse, Taddy Mouse, and Little Redheaded Thing. Silly, but always instructive The Adventures of Molly Whuppie . . . are a read-aloud treasure.

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