Tricksters: Trick of the Tale

The theme for this week is anthologies of trickster stories, and today's anthology is by John and Caitlin Matthews: Trick of the Tale: A Collection of Trickster Tales From Around the World, with lovely illustrations by Tomislaw Tomic.

You'll find 20 stories in this book from a range of cultures: How Anansi Brought Stories to the People ~ Brer Rabbit and the Fatal Imitation ~ How Raven Stole the Light ~ A Home of One's Own ~ Coyote and the Little Tune ~ Chaunticleer's Dream ~ Frog and Crow ~ Tricks and Truths ~ Raven and Crayfish ~ Revenge Is Sweet ~ Lion and Unicorn ~ The Making of the World ~ The King of All Birds ~ Partners ~ An Ocean Cruise ~ A Nose for a Nose ~ Vijaya and the Elephant's Oath ~ The Coldest Night ~ The Deep, Deep Well. One drawback is that the authors do not cite the sources that they used, although these are well-known stories, so just a bit of Googling can provide helpful leads.

Meanwhile, the biggest advantage of the book is the gorgeous, lavish illsutrations by Croatian artist Tomislaw Tomic. Here is his rendering of the Japanese tricskter hare for example:

And here are the illustrations for two different stories about Raven:

Plus some wonderful two-page spreads like this banquet scene (click on the image for a larger view):

So, if you like having illustrations to pull you into the story, this book is an excellent choice!

Trick of the Tale: A Collection of Trickster Tales
from around the World
by John and Caitlin Matthews