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Children's Fiction General

When Apples Grew Noses and White Horses Flew

Tales of Ti-Jean

by (author) Jan Andrews

illustrated by Dusan Petricic

Publisher
Groundwood Books Ltd
Initial publish date
Apr 2011
Category
General, General, Humorous Stories
Recommended Age
7 to 10
Recommended Grade
2 to 5
Recommended Reading age
7 to 10
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9780888999528
    Publish Date
    Apr 2011
    List Price
    $16.95
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781554982288
    Publish Date
    Dec 2011
    List Price
    $14.95

Classroom Resources

Where to buy it

Description

A USBBY Outstanding International Books Honor Book and a nominee for the 2012 Silver Birch Express Award in the Ontario Library Association's Forest of Reading Program and the Canadian Library Association Book of the Year for Children Award

In these three imaginative stories, Jan Andrews introduces us to Quebec's traditional folktale hero, Ti-Jean. He's an endearing character who is both wise and foolish, and though he does find himself in hard situations (often of his own making), in the end, he somehow manages to do what needs to be done.

In "Ti-Jean and the Princess of Tomboso" he outwits a greedy princess; in "Ti-Jean the Marble Player" he gets the best of a pint-sized scoundrel; and in "How Ti-Jean Became a Fiddler" he turns the tables on a too-clever-for-her-own-good seigneur's daughter, and finds true love in the process.

About the authors

Jan Andrews lives at the end of the road on a lake in Eastern Ontario. The plants and creatures in her Orca book The Twelve Days of Summer can all be found in her backyard. She has a love for the Canadian wilderness and, when not writing, can often be found canoeing, cross-country skiing, hiking or rock climbing, depending on the season. Jan has been part of the world of Canadian children's literature for thirty years and more. Her titles include such classic picture books as Very Last First Time and The Auction. She has contributed to the Dear Canada series through her book Winter of Peril.

An accomplished storyteller with a passionate concern for oral traditions, she has produced the folktale collection Out of the Everywhere. New Tales for Canada and set down the true story of Pa's Harvest as heard from another teller. She has a new book coming out in 2007 entitled The Stories at the Door—a work of rollicking fun and humour. Jan loves to do school visits and is prepared to travel widely to remote and urban locations. She gives teacher workshops and does conference presentations. Her specialty is letting her listeners know how much she cares about them.

She is the Artistic Director for two storytelling series and the Director of Storysave, a project for recording elders from the Canadian storytelling community for CDs and audio website. Somehow, with all of this, Jan has never quite managed to get her own website organized - although she keeps trying! She can, however, be reached at jandrews@magma.ca.

Jan Andrews' profile page

Duan Petricic was born in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, but loved to pretend that he grew up in Zemun, an old city located just across the river (and now a part of Belgrade). As a boy he did all the forbidden things that children do, but what Duan loved most was to draw. He started drawing at age four and, encouraged by his parents, he never stopped. He found inspiration in everything, and drawing became a way to communicate with the people around him. Two books that were very important to his childhood were an old encyclopedia with lots of pictures and The Boys from Pavel’s Street by Ferenc Molnár. Early on, he was moved by the drawings found within the encyclopedia. As he grew older, he adored many artists, including Leonardo da Vinci, Dürer, and Picasso. Duan has been illustrating children’s books for many years. He has received numerous honors and awards for his work, in North America and internationally, including an IBBY Certificate of Honour and an Alberta Book Award for On Tumbledown Hill (Red Deer Press). The Longitude Prize (FSG) was selected as a Robert F. Siebert Honor Book for a Distinguished Informative Book for Children in the US. His beautiful, evocative illustrations for Mattland (2009) by Hazel Hutchins and Gail Herbert garnered Duan the Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator’s Award from the Canadian Library Association as well as the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award. His illustrations for Better Together (2011) by Sheryl and Simon Shapiro were described as “sublime” by Kirkus Reviews. When it came time to reissue Robert Munsch’s Mud Puddle (2012), Duan was Annick’s first choice to reillustrate the classic. The results are a fresh and energetic look that will delight a whole new generation of young Munsch fans. Duan’s latest book, The Man with the Violin (2013), was greeted with rave reviews, including starred reviews in Kirkus and uill & uire. Written by Kathy Stinson, this beautifully evocative picture book tells the true story of world-renowned violinist, Joshua Bell, who conducted an experiment by anonymously playing his priceless violin in the Washington D.C. subway station. Luckily for Duan, his profession is his favorite hobby and he is happy when at work. To young artists he would give this advice: “Think, think, think, think, draw!” Duan lives in Toronto where he is a regular contributor as an editorial cartoonist in the Toronto Star.

Dusan Petricic's profile page

Awards

  • Commended, 2012 USBBY Outstanding International Book

Editorial Reviews

the stories hold appeal for storytellers and listeners alike.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

A refreshing alternative to traditional fairy tales.

Toronto Star

...a winning introduction to a universal folk character.

Kirkus Reviews

...full of magic...

Quill & Quire

these zesty, wellpaced texts virtually read themselves.

The Horn Book Magazine, STARRED REVIEW

Highly Recommended

CM Magazine

...The book would be an entertaining read-aloud for a classroom and a good companion piece to the study of American folktales... Quite frankly, three stories are simply not enough!

School Library Journal

Librarian Reviews

When Apples Grew Noses and White Horses Flew: Tales of Ti-Jean

These three imaginative stories introduce us to French Canadian folktale hero, Ti-Jean, an endearing character who is both wise and foolish. Though he finds himself in hard situations, he somehow manages to do what needs to be done. In the first story he manages to outwit a princess; in the second he beats Bonnet Rouge at his own game; and in the third story he wins the hand of the seigneur’s daughter.

Source: The Canadian Children’s Book Centre. Best Books for Kids & Teens. Fall, 2012.

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