The Fortune-Tellers - Hardcover

Alexander, Lloyd

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0525448497 ISBN 13: 9780525448495

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile, 1992

Synopsis

After revealing the future to a young carpenter, a fortune-teller disappears, and the young man attempts to fill the shoes of the real seer, with hilarious results for himself and the villagers, in an African tale set in a small Cameroonian town.

About this title

About the Author

Born on January 30, 1924, in Philadelphia, storyteller Lloyd Alexander spent his childhood filling his imagination with fantasies about other lands and eras. For ten years of his writing career, Alexander wrote for adults, then changed gears and wrote fiction for young people. Alexander has received a Newbery Medal, a Newbery Honor Award, a National Book Award, and several IRA-CBC Children’s Choice Awards. He is also the author of many ALA Notable Children’s Books and School Library Journal Best Books of the Year.

Trina Schart Hyman was a children's book illustrator for more than 30 years. Hyman graduated from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, in 1960. She won the 1985 Caldecott Medal for her work on Margaret Hodges' book Saint George and the Dragon. Hyman was one of the first white illustrators along with Ezra Jack Keats to regularly incorporate black characters into her illustrations. She spent the last 10 years of her life with her romantic partner, Jean K. Aull, and passed away in 2004.

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-4-- A young carpenter, tired of hammering and sawing, seeks out a fortune-teller to see what his future holds. The cagey old prophet promises him a rosy future--well, maybe. `` `Rich you will surely be,' '' says the fortune-teller, if `` `you earn large sums of money.' '' Moreover, `` `You shall wed your true love . . . if you find her and she agrees. And you shall be happy as any in the world if you can avoid being miserable.' '' Pleased with these promising, if ambiguous, predictions, the carpenter leaves, only to get halfway home and decide he has more questions to ask. But the fortune-teller has mysteriously vanished, leaving the carpenter in the quirky hand of fate where, in typical Alexander fashion, his life takes a surprising and humorous turn. The story's warm and witty tone is reinforced by Hyman's masterful illustrations. Expressive figures are dynamically placed against a West African landscape, in colors so rich and clear that they invite readers to touch the fabrics and breathe the air. Visual details--carved wooden stools, traditional cloth patterns, signs in French--add an authenticity to the story (which is actually set in Cameroon), while touches of humor in postures and expressions underscore Alexander's gentle wit. These illustrations are obviously a labor of love. Vibrant with life and good humor, this is a supremely satisfying creation. --Linda Boyles, Alachua County Library District, Gainesville, FL
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
• Publication date: 1992
• ISBN 10: 0525448497
• ISBN 13: 9780525448495
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32