New books

 Yesterday's books were folklorish.  I asked the kids if they knew what a folklore was and of course they didn't.  They're 6 and 7 years old but one little guy said, "a fairytale!"  Which, I told him, lives in the same basket as folklore. 

   Epossumondas was/is one of Elizabeth and Adelaide's best memories.  When they were little and spent time with us in South Haven, supper was only an appetizer for going out for ice cream afterward.  We listened to the CD of Epossumondas every.  single.  time.  There and back.  We have it memorized and we can recite it on demand.  

    Epossumondas is his mama's and auntie's sweet little patootie who takes everything they say absolutely literally (boy, I hate it when people do that to me!)  When he goes to visit auntie she gives him little gifts to take home:  bread or butter or cake or even a puppy.  It's how he gets those things home that makes the story so funny.

     In the afterword it is suggested that Epossumondas deliberately messes up his missions so he won't be asked to do them again, making him a bit of a thinker instead of the senseless one his mama thinks he is.

    There are many Anansi stories but the illustrations by Janet Stevens are so nice.  The Anansi stories are Africa folk tales.  

    Anansi is very lazy and tries to get out of doing any work at all.  When he sees the fish turtle caught he gets turtle to agree to take him fishing.  Turtle isn't so naive, he knows Anansi. Turtle says with two of them the task will go faster.  One of them will do the work and the other will get tired.  This reasoning always gets the kids' attention.  Anansi equates tired with work so he volunteers to do the tasks and turtle can be the one to get tired. After several tasks the fish is caught and the final lesson learned. Turtle suggests one of them eat the fish while the other one gets full.  Anansi is so hungry after all the tasks he wants to be the one that's full so turtle eats the whole fish.  In the end Anansi wants justice but the tables are turned yet again. 

    

Thanks to Susan (yay!!) for figuring the math for my circles.  She sent several size options and once Easter is over I'll pick one and get to connecting them.  What a joy THAT will be!   In the meantime I picked up the temperature tree for April.  I've decided rather than daily I would stitch a couple of weeks worth at a time.

Hope you have a nice Easter and the weather is good for you.  After the next couple of days of rain we are promised a nice Sunday.