A Ring of Tricksters

One of the most honored children's writers in America, Virginia Hamilton brings us an amazing, well-researched collection of animal folk tales from African American, West Indian, and African tradition. This collection is broken up into three sections based on their place of origin; each section begins with a brief background on the stories, characters, and dialects used in the section. At the end of the collection are further explanations of each individual story. Hamilton discusses everything from the origins of the characters and their metaphorical meaning to the purpose of the story to excerpts of the story in their original dialect.

This collection of animal folk tales can be further broken down into 3 main subgenres. While (as the title indicates) all of the stories are trickster tales, in which the main character plays tricks on those in power, this collection also includes a number of pourquoi tales and some beast tales. A pourquoi tale is one that explains how certain animal traits came to be, as in "Cunnie Rabbit and Spider Make a Match" which postulates that animals got all the designs on their coats when the dust settled on them from Cunnie Rabbit's epic battle with Mister Spider. In beast tales, animals talk and behave as people, as when Buh Rabby and Bruh Gator play fiddle and dance at Bruh Gator's parties.

Hamilton's extensive research on the topic shines through as she explains the purpose of these tricksters in each culture. In the America's and West Indies, she explains, the tricksters, especially Bruh Rabbit are "hero[s] who symbolize freedom for all those held in bondage." Because most tricksters are small and clever, rather than strong, they represent the seemingly weak over-coming those who are traditionally seen as powerful. In the African tales, the stories are playful representations of human mischievousness.

Unfortunately, Barry Moser's watercolor illustrations leave something to be desired. Despite the three distinct sections, all illustrations are executed in the same style: relatively realistic, large-scale portraits of the animal characters in earth tones. While he gives life to the characters, by providing them with sometimes humorous facial expressions, that is about all the illustrations do for the work. While it is evident that Hamilton did extensive research for this work, it is clear that Moser did no such thing. He could have used the illustrations to extend the text, give greater life to the characters, or to expose the reader to traditional African American, West Indian, and African art forms. There were times in the collection, moreover, when Moser's illustrations were blatantly discordant with the text. At one point in "Magic Anansi" the text implies that Him Tiger is growling angrily, frustrated at losing his prey, Anansi and Sana Goat; however, if we glance at the picture at the top of the page, Him Tiger appears sullen and remorseful for chasing after his friends.

This brilliant, well-researched work is an amazing look into traditional African American, West Indian, and African folk tales from an incredibly distinguished author, it is simply unfortunate, however, that the same can not be said of the illustrations.