Jackie Mims Hopkins

This is destined to become a classic! The Gold Miner's Daughter, as you might note from the cover art, is set up as an old-time picture show or theater production that is cross between an old time blustery tall tale and the Dudley-Do-Right/Dastardly Bank Manager saga (sans Dudley of course, this tough little lady doesn't need any many to rescue her from the dastardly banker - yea that's right I said it...he's DASTARDLY)!! This plucky hybrid goes even further with the amusement and nostalgia show more in giving a nod to several of the "biggies" in fairy tale stardom (Goldie Locks and the Three Bears, The Three Little Pigs, Rumplestiltskin, Rapunzel, Jack and the Bean Stalk, and Sleeping Beauty).

We start out with the typical slick banker going to foreclose on Gracie and Pa's mine...but he'll give them till sundown or else he's taking the mine AND Gracie as his bride...and she wants absolutely nothing to do with that, so she sets out on a march through town to try to find someone who can help her find the gold they need before sunset. This story builds to a nice climax and while Gracie doesn't wind up tied up on the train tracks, you might be surprised who does! Will Gracie find the gold in time? Will she be forced to marry the dastardly banker? You'll have to read to find out...and I don' think you'll be disappointed!

This is quite fun for parents and children...it's got the charm of a tall tale (complete with amazing exaggeration)...this is especially apparent in the illustrations, they are magnificent; the drama of the Dudley-Do-Right saga; the charm of a fairy tale; and best of all...audience participation. Yep, that's right, this book comes with a sequence of 4 symbols that are cues for the listeners (for this could only work as a read-aloud with an audience) to chime in (my favorite is the banker's oily handlebar mustache - boo, hiss).

Simply put...this book is a storyteller's dream...your kids will love this!! A+ show less

The classic Norwegian folktale, The Three Billy Goats Gruff, gets a southwestern makeover in this picture-book retelling, as the three Armadilly sisters decide to attend a dance on the other side of the highway. Crossing underneath this busy thoroughfare by means of a culvert, the three armadillos encounter a hungry coyote, each one promising the predator a larger meal, if she waits for the next sister to pass by. Finally, when the eldest sister, Dilly Armadilly, hears the coyote's sad tale, show more she invites her to join her at the dance, and the three sisters give their would-be enemy a makeover.

Fractured fairy-tale fans will enjoy this revisionist take on a classic tale, as author Jackie Mims Hopkins alters not just the species and gender of the cast, but also changes the ending so that all concludes happily for Tallulah the coyote, just as it does for Lilly, Jilly and Dilly Armadilly. The artwork, done in acrylic, gouache, colored pencil and ink by S.G. Brooks, is colorful and amusing, utilizing a palette that matches the southwestern setting perfectly. I would recommend The Three Armadillies Tuff to anyone who enjoys fractured fairy-tales, or is looking for children's stories in which potential conflict is resolved peacefully for all. show less

Once upon a time, in the land of dust and tumbleweeds, there lived a young girl named Reba Jo. She loved playing the guitar, singing and roping her way through the day above all else....even when it meant not listening to her father's warnings about crossing the dry arroyos (or creeks). One misadventure lands he in debt to a horned toad....a "prince" nonetheless. His requests for repayment land on deaf ears...at least at first.....for as we all know a deal is a deal after all.

Suffice it to show more say that this story plays off the classic "The Princess and the Frog"; HOWEVER, that is where the similarities end....just on the surface. If we go one step deeper, we find the story made over in location, characters, personalities (gotta love their spunkiness...all of them really), and the actual promise made. The final outcome will surprise you fully in all ways. Seriously! Even after the final words have been read, there is one more picture that adds a little more Reba Jo-ness before the curtains close.

The illustrations are another wonderful aspect of the book as they have an earthy quality in both color and texture that takes you out of suburbia and places you on the lonesome prairie with the characters. Plus, the author incorporates a bit of learning into the scheme of things with a basic Spanish lesson scattered throughout the tale. It's subtle but a great touch.

A great little book for readers of all ages; whether young or simply young at heart, the messages are clear.....be careful what you promise AND things aren't always as they seem at first glance. Happy reading! show less

Once upon a time, in the land of dust and tumbleweeds, there lived a young girl named Reba Jo. She loved playing the guitar, singing and roping her way through the day above all else....even when it meant not listening to her father's warnings about crossing the dry arroyos (or creeks). One misadventure lands he in debt to a horned toad....a "prince" nonetheless. His requests for repayment land on deaf ears...at least at first.....for as we all know a deal is a deal after all.

Suffice it to show more say that this story plays off the classic "The Princess and the Frog"; HOWEVER, that is where the similarities end....just on the surface. If we go one step deeper, we find the story made over in location, characters, personalities (gotta love their spunkiness...all of them really), and the actual promise made. The final outcome will surprise you fully in all ways. Seriously! Even after the final words have been read, there is one more picture that adds a little more Reba Jo-ness before the curtains close.

The illustrations are another wonderful aspect of the book as they have an earthy quality in both color and texture that takes you out of suburbia and places you on the lonesome prairie with the characters. Plus, the author incorporates a bit of learning into the scheme of things with a basic Spanish lesson scattered throughout the tale. It's subtle but a great touch.

A great little book for readers of all ages; whether young or simply young at heart, the messages are clear.....be careful what you promise AND things aren't always as they seem at first glance. Happy reading! show less