Story-lovers have always been fond of noodlehead, nitwit, and fool stories, These characters are hapless and drive everyone crazy, being unable to do much of anything right, on account of how lazy or befuddled they are. Noodleheads are not necessarily tricksters, as are the beloved folktale scamps, Anansi the Spider in Eric A. Kimmel's classic Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock (illustrated by Janet Stevens) and the hare from Janet Stevens's own Caldecott Honor book, Tops & Bottoms. Noodleheads are not usually wily or conniving, just genuinely foolish. For young children, one of the best such heroes ever is a well-meaning little opossum named Epossumondas. When they see him on the cover of the book, they squeal, "He's wearing a DIAPER!" and laugh like mad.

Storyteller and children's literature professor, Coleen Salley, who died in 2008, refashioned the noodlehead folktale, "Epaminondas," to reflect her New Orleans background, using a profusion of local animals including an alligator, a raccoon, a nutria, and an armadillo, that encounter a foolish opossum as he heads on home. In huge, affable watercolor and color-pencil illustrations, artist Janet Stevens has depicted Salley herself in the larger than life roles of both Auntie and Mama, who is clad in an ample, flowered tent dress, yellow pill box hat festooned with a red rose, and purple specs.

When Epossumondas, his Mama's sweet patootie, pays a visit his Auntie, she gives him a piece of rich gold cake, which he carries home all scrunched in his hands. One his way, he meets an alligator who observes, "Don't look much like cake to me." Back home, his Mama chides him, "Oh, Epossumondas, you don't have the sense you were born with! That's no way to carry cake! The way to carry cake is to put the cake on your head, put a hat on your head, and come along home." But the next day, Auntie gives him a stick of freshly-churned butter, which, logically, he puts under his hat, where it melts, dripping down his face. Each time, Epossumondas listens to his Mama, but still gets it all wrong, with hilarious results.

STORYTELLER'S TIP: This uproarious story with huge unforgettable watercolors will have your listeners chiming in on the many repeated refrains. It begs to be retold with props and puppets and a story apron to put them in, which you can make or buy from Mimi's Motifs at www.mimismotifs.com. A natural story to act out in creative drama or write up as a Reader's Theater for children to read aloud, it will have listeners talking about what it means to take something literally. Afterwards, bring in a nice pie so everyone can have a bite. Singing the song, "I'm Bringing Home a Baby Bumblebee," would fit in just fine, too.


How do you talk about a story during and after reading? What questions can or should you ask of your listeners? Grown-ups often feel they need to test children's comprehension of a story, which is fine as long as you don't bombard them with obvious questions. It's easy to tell when you've gone too far. Your kids will say, with narrowed eyes and clenched teeth, "Could you just . . . READ . . . the . . . STORY!" Remember, the story is king, though it's always good to ascertain if your audience understands a punchline or an obscure reference point so the story makes sense to them. Here are some possible questions/discussion points you could use with Epossumondas. Pick one or two that work for you.

DISCUSSION POINTS AND/OR POSSIBLE QUESTIONS:

As you read the story aloud, each time Epossumondas tries to bring something home, ask your listeners to predict what they think he will do with that object.
Why does Epossumondas keep making mistakes?
What does his mother mean when she says, "You don't have the sense you were born with."?
Before finishing the story, ask: What does Auntie mean when she says, "Well, Epossumondas, you be careful about stepping on those pies." What do you think he'll do?
Ask your listeners to retell the story and describe, in sequence, each mistake Epossumondas makes.
Have you ever misunderstood directions and done something all wrong? What happened?

Marisa Montes's Juan Bobo Goes to Work is a Puerto Rican variant of the story. Follow up with Salley's sequels, Why Epossumondas Has No Hair on His Tail (a reworking of a Brer Rabbit story), Epossumondas Saves the Day (a new version of the old story "Sody Sallyratus"), and Epossumondas Plays Possum (where he encounters a fearsome swamp creature, a loup-garou). For more about the author, Coleen Salley, go to www.coleensalley.com. For more about the illustrator, Janet Stevens, go to www.janetstevens.com.

THEMES: AUNTS. CREATIVE DRAMA. FOLKLORE-U.S. FOOLS AND JESTERS-FOLKLORE. HUMOROUS FOLKLORE. MOTHERS AND SONS. OPOSSUMS-FOLKLORE.