School Library Journal Review
K Up-- As in The Tales of Uncle Remus: The Adventures of Brer Rabbit (1987) and More Tales of Uncle Remus: Further Adventures of Brer Rabbit, His Friends, Enemies, and Others (1988 , both Dial), Lester has retold ``Uncle Remus''tales, although fewer will be familiar than in the previous books. Mostly, the antics of other animals are featured instead of those of the perennial hero, Brer Rabbit. But they're still a lively crowd, constantly trying to outsmart, outtrick, and outfox one another with varying degrees of success. Lester's excellent retellings once again use a forceful and audacious Uncle Remus as their narrator. The prose is spirited and witty with nimble and original turns of phrases that are highly entertaining, making the text a good read-aloud choice. Pinkney's watercolors, full-page spreads rich in the use of earth tones and other colors of nature, have a strong folk verve to them. --Kay McPherson, Central Atlanta-Fulton Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
As engaging and accessible as the two earlier volumes, this collection focuses primarily on the misadventures of Brer Fox, Brer Wolf, and Brer Bear, with Brer Rabbit's role somewhat reduced. The full-color double-page spreads and the plentiful black-and-white sketches are consistently excellent. From HORN BOOK 1990, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
This third volume in Lester's widely acclaimed updating of Harris' collection of African. American folk-tales includes 33 stories, with Lester's ironic voice growing even more distinctively his own. It's still dancing with irrepressible wit (the bear cub that eats an alligator ""didn't leave the tail. And he ate the shadow for dessert""), comical anachronisms (Brer Turtle looks miserable, ""like he needed a dime to call his therapist""), and sage observations (""She had so much sense that it was a bother to her sometimes""). Meanwhile, Lester himself is always in evidence, his wit razor-sharp as he describes Miz Rabbit threatening her husband with her consciousness-raising group or calls a remark ""the funniest thing they'd heard since. . .Pavarotti Sings the Blues."" He also stops more often to ruminate on things--like why folks don't think alike, or the meaning of time. Pinkney's fine drawings and paintings continue to enhance the stories; they appear to even better advantage here thanks to better quality paper. A splendid addition to Lester's unique contribution to American folklore. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Gr. 4-9. This third volume of Uncle Remus stories has as much vitality as its two companions--The Tales of Uncle Remus and More Tales of Uncle Remus. Lester's witty narrator is as sassy as ever in recounting the stories, which tell the adventures not only of Brer Rabbit but of characters like Miz Cricket and Brer Turtle, both capable of Brer Rabbit-style cleverness. These tales match the others in nasty contrivance--though anyone bothered by the values and violence can meditate on the narrator's voice: "It ain't possible to be friends with these stories without shaking off a lot of your ideas . . . Folks got their laws and creatures got theirs, and that's just how it is." And so it goes. No preface or notes here; just a beefy lineup of 30 tales. Illustrated as distinctively as ever with Pinkney's rich, brimming depictions of Brer Rabbit and company. --Denise Wilms
