Shutta Crum

A greedy man known as Old Tar Pockets takes one too many things he shouldn't in this Halloween-time retelling of a spooky folktale, digging up a hairy toe with a long yellow toenail still on it while stealing sweet potatoes from his neighbor's field. Figuring that finders are keepers, he takes the toe, putting it in the same pocket as the stick of hot tar he also stole. Later that night, when the terrible creature to whom the toe rightly belongs comes looking for it, Old Tar Pockets is show more unable to give it back, as it and the stick of tar are stuck fast in his pocket...

Reading Who Took My Hairy Toe?, I was immediately reminded of the traditional English tale, The Teeny Tiny Woman, about a little old lady who finds a bone in a graveyard and takes it home with her, only to be pursued by its ghostly owner. Leaving aside the oddness of this tale type—what's with people carting off human or human-adjacent body parts? is there some kind of history or meaning there? some cautionary tale about not disturbing remains?—I was interested to see that this parallel was mentioned in the author's note at the end of the book. This version of the story appears to be an African American variant of the tale, and appears in B.A. Botkin's 1949 A Treasury of Southern Folklore and M.A. Jagendorf's 1972 Folk Stories of the South. Apparently it is very similar to The Tailypo—an Appalachian folktale concerning a ghostly dog-like creature that seeks out its stolen tail—that has been retold in picture book form a number of times.

Leaving all of that aside, this telling was an engrossing one, with the repeated refrain, "Who Took My Hairy Toe" working to great effect in building suspense and terror. I can imagine this one being an excellent read-aloud for Halloween time, especially when paired with Katya Krenina's humorous artwork. I'd recommend it for Halloween story hour, and for telling around a campfire or in the dark during sleepovers. show less

Somehow I've never read anything by Shutta Crum before. I don't even recall hearing her name (and I would have remembered, don't you think?). Now I'm wondering what I missed, because I think this is going to be a classic! It's a hot and humid day on a midwest farm, until clouds begin to gather. It's a thunder-boomer! A giant storm that sweeps over the farm with thunder, lightning, torrential rain, and hail. When it's all over, they find something special out by the barn.

The language is show more evocative and lovely, but retains plenty of action and fun sounds for children to enjoy. There's genuine tension in wondering if the hail will damage the crops, but it doesn't detract from the family's appreciation of the cooling and majestic storm. A perfect read-aloud for hot summer days, or for kids feeling a little scared of a big storm.

Carol Thompson's illustrations are a great match for this fresh story. Her mixture of materials and techniques gives a realistic and textured feel to the illustrations and is perfect for showing the evolution of the storm.

Verdict: Recommended

ISBN: 978-0618618651; Published June 2009 by Clarion; Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library show less

[This review was previously published and has been edited]

I purchased this as a picture book, but when I received a review copy of it in board book format, I thought it was even more brilliant!

There are only two words in the whole book, "mine" and "woof". Just for the record, the word "mine" is used nine and a half times and "woof" appears once.

The story is told through Barton's soft but brilliant color illustrations. The plump, rosy-cheeked toddler featured on the front cover is introduced show more to a baby and a stack of toys, with a dog in the background. Naturally, her first response is to scoop them all up, one by one, saying "mine!" before the baby can get any. Unfortunately, there's just a few too many toys and as the toddler frantically tries to collect them all, the baby and dog join in the game with enthusiasm and toys go flying. The two children quickly discover a much better game they can play together - dumping the toys in the dog's water dish. Spontaneous sharing ensues and grows until the final "mines" are for new friends.

The gradual sharing between the children is realistic, if a little overly positive. They don't play together at any point, but they are aware of each other and eventually work out a game they both participate in, as children of that age are capable of doing. I kind of wonder where the moms were while the kids were dumping toys in the dog's water dish, but that's all part of the fun. It reminds me of Barbro Lindgren's Sam books (or Max, if you're going for the original Swedish).

Verdict: I think this one works really well as a board book, maybe even better than a picture book. There are lots of different things to identify in the pictures and parents will appreciate the humor in the story.

ISBN: 9780375863462; Published August 2012 (board book edition) by Alfred Knopf/Random House; Review copy provided by the publisher; Donated to the library; Picture book previously purchased for the library show less

A midwestern farm-family finds their day going from slow and leisurely to fast and frenzied, as a massive storm - a Thunder-Boomer - descends upon them. As Dad makes for the barn on his tractor, mother and daughter rush to get in the laundry, and son and dog attempt to secure the chickens. But what's this? Why is Maizey - the girl's favorite chicken - refusing to enter the coop?

With plenty of narrative excitement, and appealing illustrations, Thunder-Boomer will engage young readers' show more attention, and hold it fast. Carol Thompson's artwork conveys the sense of motion and immediacy to be found in the text, no doubt inspired by author Shutta Crum's own experiences living on a farm. With roaring wind and pelting hail, not to mention a surprise gift left by the storm, children will find much here to enthrall and entertain. show less