Valerie Scho Carey

A poor old woman named Maggie Mab has an encounter with the fabled Bogey Beast—a devilish trickster who often misleads and even harms the unwary—in this retelling of a traditional tale from northern England. Making her way home one evening from a farmhouse where she had been doing some work for the farmer's wife, Maggie encounters a pot of gold coins in her path. Exclaiming at her luck, she begins to drag the pot home, only to find it transformed, first into a block of silver, then into a hunk of iron, and finally into a stone. Accepting each change with equanimity, she continues to declare herself lucky, and when the stone turns into the bogey itself, and she is taken on a night-time ride through the sky, Maggie sees the blessing even in this experience, winning a reward in exchange for her lack of complaint...

Although no information as to source is included in this retelling, the story in Maggie Mab and the Bogey Beast can be found in Flora Annie Steel's 1918 English Fairy Tales, where it is known simply as The Bogey-Beast, and where the main character does not have a name. I will definitely have to track down that collection, but in the meantime I enjoyed author Valerie Scho Carey and illustrator Johanna Westerman's retelling immensely! The story itself is engaging, and is well told, with a lesson about perspective and how it shapes our lives, for ill or (in this case) for good. I appreciated the fact that sometimes that perspective has to be sought—Maggie Mab is actually afraid, when riding through the air, but doesn't want to show it—but that its benefits are to be desired, whether one is naturally optimistic or simply determined to keep one's blessings in mind. The accompanying artwork from Westerman is just delightful, with a beautiful color palette that is both subtle and vivid, expressive characters, and sprightly little fairies in the background, unseen by the main character. I recall enjoying Westerman's artwork in John Warren Stewig's retelling of the Brothers Grimm tale, Mother Holly, and will definitely have to seek out more of it! Heartily recommended to all young folk and fairy-tale enthusiasts.… (mer)

Coyote hears Quail crying and thinks it is singing. Coyote finds Quail and demands that she teach him the song. Quail tries to explain that she was crying but Coyote just threatens her, so Quail teaches him the song. Coyote heads home but each time he forgets the song so he returns to Quail and demands the song. This happens several times until Quail puts a rock in her place and goes off. Coyote doesn't notice the difference and eats the rock for not telling him the song. Coyote breaks all of his teeth and cries a lizard hears the crying and thinks it is a song and asks Coyote for the song. Coyote cries that lizard can not tell crying from singing. Coyote finally understands.This story has a moral meaning behind it about thinking before acting and listening to others side of the story.… (mer)