Out of the Everywhere: New Tales for Canada

Joan Buchanan is a children’s writer and storyteller. She is the
author of Taking Care of My Cold!, What If I Were in Charge?, Nothing
Else But Yams for Supper!, and The Nana Rescue.

This exceptionally good folk-tale collection by well-known author and
storyteller Jan Andrews contains 10 stories from around the world that
are set in Canada. Hence, “The Fly,” a Vietnamese tale about
Vietnamese immigrants exploited by a landlord, which is found in the
popular Best-Loved Folk-Tales of the World, retains the core story, but
the setting and circumstances are different.

True to her storytelling and writerly roots, Andrews has checked and
rechecked her versions for authenticity. The result is a delightful mix
of fairy tale, fantasy, folklore, and realism. The selections include a
Russian tale (based on Arthur Ransome’s “Little Daughter of the
Snow” found in Old Peter’s Russian Tales), a Zimbabwean story
(“Wise Father, Wise Daughter”) learned from storyteller Itah Sadu, a
story based on the Brother’s Grimm’s folk tale “The Little
Peasant” (here called “TiJean and the Calf”), and a tale from
India (“Pradeep and the Princess Labam”). All of the stories are
well sourced at the back of the book.

Simon Ng’s bold, broad illustrations beautifully complement the
stories and the book is well bound for lots of handling.

In her foreword, Andrews urges readers to retell these stories:
“[B]reathe them in. Take them to yourself, but do not stop there.
These are tales for passing on.” Teachers, librarians, storytellers,
students, parents, and grandparents will all enjoy these tales. Once I
started it, I couldn’t put the volume down. It’s more than highly
recommended.