A Jack Tale
5 primary works
Book 1
Once upon a time, and a very good time it was, not in your time, indeed not in my time, but in olden times, when quart bottles held half a gallon and houses were papered with pancakes and pigs run about with forks stuck in their backs seein who wanted a slice o ham, there were two old people and they never had no children, and they figured they were too old to ever have any. So begins Andy Joness wonderful adaptation of a traditional Newfoundland tale. Of course, its clear from the storys beginning that there are children on the way, and one of those children is Jack, the delightful, mischievous, big-hearted hero of so many Newfoundland tales. Told with the humour, warmth and sly wit that have made Andy Jones one of the Islands finest and best-loved storytellers,The Queen of Paradises Garden follows Jack on his way to the land of the Queen of Paradise, where he searches for a magic fruit to make his parents young again, and finds quite a few other handy things as well. The story is a free adaptation of a tale told by Albert Heber Keeping of Grand Bank, which he got from Billy Quann of Sagona Island; Keepings version was published in Halpert and Widdowsons seminal collection, Folktales of Newfoundland. Darka Erdelji has created stunning illustrations for the story. Erdeljis artwork is at once otherworldly, wistful and playful; it adds a wonderful dimension to an already engaging story. The book was designed by Veselina Tomova of Vis-a-Vis Graphics, St. Johns.
Book 2
Book 3
Now the Land of Thieves, as you can probably guess, was beyond the limb of the law. It was lousy with robbers, rowdies, thieves, preachers, bullyboys, hooligans, scofflaws, skullies, skeets, and sleeveens. Just about the only honest people in the land were Jack and Mary. And they worked as hard as ever they could, and by and by they grew to be rich. Award-winning storyteller Andy Jones and acclaimed illustrator Darka Erdelji are back with another whimsical, wise, and witty Jack tale. Jack and Mary in the Land of Thieves finds Jack, that everyman of folktales, married to his sweetheart Mary, the best woman ever born and a mighty fine baker to boot. Their lives are as happy and successful as can be, until an underhanded sea captain and Jacks own bragging get the better of our hero. Jack is sent the once to work on Slave Islands and Mary is turned out of house and home. But Mary is resolute and resourceful, and has plans to find Jack and restore their fortunes. Inspired by several traditional and classic works, including Shakespeares Cymbeline, the medieval tale of Frederick of Jennen, and the Newfoundland story Jack and the Slave Islands, Andy Jones has crafted a funny, moving, and delightfully original story about love, treachery, perseverance, and cherry cake. Darka Erdeljis gorgeous illustrations capture the drama, humour, and beauty of this wonderful tale. With a hidden key, a storm at sea, and a singing mynah bird named Baxter who carries more than his share of tunes, Jack and Mary in the Land of Thieves will delight youngsters and oldsters alike. As a special bonus, the melodies of all of Baxters songs are included, so that readers can learn them, sing them, and share them. The melodies, created by Andy Jones, were inspired by several traditional tunes; Pamela Morgan kindly helped with the musical notation. Designed by Veselina Tomova, of Vis a Vis Graphics (St. Johns, NL). Want to know more about the book? You'll find some fun background information on our blog.
Book 4
Award-winning storyteller Andy Jones and illustrator Darka Erdelji have joined forces again, in the wake of their highly acclaimed book Jack & Mary in the Land of Thieves, to produce what may be their finest collaboration yet: Jack, the King of Ashes is another riotously funny Jack tale that is as moving as it is hilarious. This time Jack, the King of Ashes, spends all his time hove off in the coal box, until one day he shakes off his ashes and sets out on an adventure that includes sneaky robbers, a famous missing princess with reward attached, an always-surprising canine sidekick, a royal wedding, a lovelorn rooster-puppet, a conniving ships captain, corpses, curses, kisses, a coat and a whole lot more! Steeped in Newfoundland folk tradition, Jack, the King of Ashes shows Jones at the top of his form. His quirky and delightful humour is unstoppable. Erdeljis illustrations offer a wonderful, witty counterpoint to the story, enriching and embellishing it.
Book 5
Jack o' Hearts is the top card player in the parish, and is feeling pretty sure of himself. When a mysterious green stranger challenges him to a card game with higher than high stakes - well, Jack can't resist. Sure, he's never lost a tournament yet, has he? Jack is as saucy as saucy can be, and he's twice as lucky as that - but the game is trickier than it looks. Luckily, Jack finds he's got an ace up his sleeve: the menacing green man's beautiful daughter Ann. She's got as much magic as her father (or so that enchantment crowd says), and she likes the look of Jack. This hilarious re-imagining of a traditional Newfoundland folktale is jam-packed with magic, romance, transformations, impossible tasks, unforgettable characters, a country song or two, and the ever-present threat of Jack's head ending up on a spear. A brilliant blending of folklore, high literature, and pop culture, Jack and the Green Man is Andy Jones and Darka Erdelji's most ambitious and most riotous Jack tale yet. Divided into 12 short chapters, this long-form, gorgeously illustrated storybook will delight readers and listeners of all ages. Previous books in this Jack tale series have won the BMO Winterset Award and the Bruneau Family Award for Children's/Young Adult Writing, and have been shortlisted for the Governor General's Literary Award for Illustrated Children's Book, the Silver Birch Express Award, the Ann Connor Brimer Award, and the Newfoundland and Labrador History and Heritage Award.