About this item
Epossumondas has a very important question: "Mama, why don't I have hair on my tail?"And wouldn't you know it, Mama can tell him exactly why possum tails are all pink and naked and funny looking. Her story's a doozy! It goes way back to Epossumondas's great-great-grandpa, Papapossum. When hungry Papapossum and his growly ol' stomach meet up with wily Hare, cranky Bear, and a persimmon tree . . . well, it's one hair-raisin' adventure!Renowned storyteller Coleen Salley and Caldecott Honor illustrator Janet Stevens team up again, drawing on the Uncle Remus tradition and their own wild imaginations to expose a hilarious--and important!--moment in possum history.
About the Author
Coleen Salley built a worldwide reputation as a storyteller, children's literature expert, and raconteur. She enthralled parents and their children with her heart-stirring and exuberant renditions of favorite books and stories. Professor Emerita Coleen Salley taught children's literature and storytelling for thirty years at the University of New Orleans, and was a visiting professor at Simmons College in Boston, the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, the University of Denver, George Peabody College in Nashville, and Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. She made hundreds of professional presentations and appearances at more than twenty national conferences, including sessions with the American Library Association, the International Reading Association, and the American Booksellers Association.
Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Ms. Salley grew up hearing the old tale "Epaminondas," which became her trademark story. Her new adaptation appeared in print for the first time as Epossumondas (Harcourt, 2002) . Winner of several awards for distinguished professional accomplishments, Coleen spent much of her life in the French Quarter in New Orleans--where she was known as Queen Coleen, a colorful character of Mardi Gras.
Ms. Salley and award-winning illustrator Janet Stevens were friends for many years. Ms. Stevens used Ms. Salley as the model for the intrepid grocery shopper in To Market, To Market, written by Anne Miranda. Ms. Salley's likeness also graces the pages of all four books featuring Epossumondas.
