Jabuti the Tortoise: A Trickster Tale from the Amazon

Not the most notable entry in this region-by-region series, but beautiful and boldly colored nonetheless. Kids who aren't immediately hooked by Jabuti's story will likely still get drawn in by McDermott's vibrant colors and straightforward compositions of simply shaped jungle creatures set against a bright pink dawn. (Ages 4 to 8) Paul Hughes

Product Description

In this story retold and illustrated by Gerald McDermott all of the creatures of the rain forest listen to the songs that Jabuti plays on his flute. But for some of the animals Jabuti's song sounds sour because they recall the prank that Jabuti played on them in the past. My one complaint about this story is that I get the feeling that McDermott is referring to real trickster tales about Jabuti in these passing references and I would really like to hear how Jabuti got the Jaguar to chase his own tail and the rest of these tales.

The point of this particular story is that there was one animal who was jealous of Jabuti, and that was the Vulture. Looking for an opportunity to eat the little tortoise the Vulture gets his opportunity when all the birds of the air were invited to sing for the King of Heaven at a festival. Jabuti wanted to go and play his flute as well and Vulture sees his chance to get the better of the tortoise. Actually, this story is about the trickster, but except for the flashbacks of the first section it is really about the attempt of the Vulture to trick the trickster.

As is often the case with many of these ancient myths and fables, there is a practical side to the story in that it explains why something in nature is the way that it is. As always, McDermott provides brightly colored illustrations (in which the backgrounds are always pink). Other trickster tales by McDermott include "Zomo the Rabbit" A Trickster Tale from West Africa," "Raven: A Trickster Tale from the Pacific Northwest," and "Coyote: A Trickster Tale from the American Southwest," all of which serve as fitting introductions to the universal character of the trickster.


Marvelous artwork enhances this trickster tale   May 28, 2002
 2 out of 3 found this review helpful

"Jabuti the Tortoise: A Trickster Tale from the Amazon" is told and illustrated by Gerald McDermott. It opens with the title character playing his flute. Jabuti wants to play his instrument at a festival for the King of Heaven, but another creature's jealousy leads to conflict.

The fun story is brought to life by McDermott's superb artwork. His brightly colored illustrations have a highly stylized, almost surreal quality that I found very engaging. I loved the pictures of Jabuti, as well as those of the birds, trees, flowers, jaguar, and tapir. Dominated by bright pink and shades of green, the pictures really excite the eye. A charming book.