Back Yard Critter Tales

For years I had enjoyed my back yard, just sitting and relaxing in the warmth of its sunshine, the coolness of its shade, and the beauty of its gardens. But not until recently did I ever surmise for one moment how many backyard critters one could have visiting or living there. So I decided to watch and study any of these critters that made themselves apparent to me. As I would sit and watch these critters, I kept thinking, 'Why all these critters, large or small, must have a story to tell'. Through your imagination, these critters will lead you through their tales of fun and excitement with some unexpected twists and turns around every corner. ENJOY!

If you looked out on your backyard right now, chances are you would see a squirrel. These common little animals are famous for gathering and storing nuts or approaching humans in the hopes of getting something to nibble. Students will learn all about the foods squirrels eat, what they look like, and how they make their homes in our backyards.

Traditional stories from the northern Colombian coast, in both English and Spanish. These twenty-one animal tales from the Colombian Caribbean coast represent a sampling of the traditional stories that are told during all-night funerary wakes. The tales are told in the semi-sacred space of the patio (backyard) of homes as part of the funerary ritual that includes other aesthetic and expressive practices such as jokes, song games, board games, and prayer. In this volume these stories are situated within their performance contexts and represent a highly ritualized corpus of oral knowledge that for centuries has been preserved and cultivated by African-descendant populations in the Americas. Ethnomusicologist George List collected these tales throughout his decades-long fieldwork among the rural costeños, a chiefly African-descendent population, in the mid-twentieth century and, with the help of a research team, transcribed and translated them into English before his death in 2008. In this volume, John Holmes McDowell and Juan Sebastián Rojas E. have worked to bring this previously unpublished manuscript to light, providing commentary on the transcriptions and translations, additional cultural context through a new introduction, and further typological and cultural analysis by Hasan M. El-Shamy. Supplementing the transcribed and translated texts are links to the original Spanish recordings of the stories, allowing readers to follow along and experience the traditional telling of the tales for themselves.

Come and meet the animals found in your background! They aren't the usual pets, you see, because hidden in your background are the littlest animals that have made your yard into their homes. Pictures and fun facts are used throughout the pages of this book for optimum information absorption. Buy a copy now!

Come join the fun as one travels through this collection of non-sense tales. Ever wonder what shoes talk about? Enjoy the fun and excitement as you visit Stanley's Shoe Salon. If you are ready for a windy ride, stop a moment to visit with Mama Sunshine and Papa Moonshine and see what their Weather children are up to. Rocking chairs are supposed to be for old folks but wouldn't you be interested in finding out the rocking chairs spin on it? Granny's Kitchen will leave you breathless. What's All Gone With The Wind? This story will keep you laughing to the end. I hope you enjoy reading these stories as much as I enjoyed writing them. Till next time, The Story Lady

Three easy-to-read stories follow a puppy as he explores his backyard and meets a kitten, who may become a friend. Includes a note to parents.

This introduction to the Russian folktale considers the origin, structure and language of folktales; tale-tellers and their audiences; the relationship of folktales to Russian ritual life; and the folktale types which are translated in subsequent volumes of The Complete Russian Folktale.

Critter Tales is a book for everyone who is interested in farm life, farm animals, and especially in homesteading with farm animals. Each section begins with the author's careful research into the needs and care of various kinds of livestock: chickens, goats, llamas, livestock guardian dogs, guinea fowl, farm cats, pigs, and honeybees. The tales which follow describe real-life learning about those animals: opinionated chickens, goat drama, critters that won't stay put, mysterious deaths, choosing the right breeds, the population dilemma, dealing with predators, and how the animals themselves don't always agree with "the experts." The sections conclude by discussing how each critter fits into the author's primary homestead goal of self-reliance and sustainability. Includes 92 tales, 216 photos, a list of resources, and an extensive index.