Tomie dePaola's collection of New England tales, Front Porch Tales and North Country Whoppers (all ages, $17.99 ) are humorous stories and illustrations that span all seasons--and then some. Sherman Curtis, Big Gertie and other delightful characters make mud season mail deliveries, fall in love, and more in these laugh-out-loud revelings from dePaola's and others' experiences. Vermont and New Hampshire share more than a border in the book which is perfect all year long.

These laugh-out-loud stories from New Hampshire and Vermont are set during the four seasons of the year. The storyteller in his appealing dialect tells little-known tales, among them “Mothah Skunk” and the night she had to move out with her kits because Sherman Curtis smelled so bad; the escapades of Big Gertie Benson, the lumberjacks’ cook and a cousin of the Bunyans in the Midwest; and George Petty, who delivered the mail even during mud season by standing on the back of his horse with only his head sticking out. Interspersed throughout are comic style episodes as an unsuspecting tourist tries to get information from the “locals.”

A delightful preface about living in New Hampshire for the past thirty-five years and visiting the North Country since he was a boy, explains why Tomie dePaola has perfect pitch for the dialect and a genuine appreciation for these unforgettable characters and their understated humor. Perfect for reading aloud to the family or in the classroom with a glossary to help with the pronunciations, these tales are sure to be a hit with Tomie’s fans, young and old.

Tomie dePaola is the author and artist of more than two hundred books for young readers, a Caldecott Honor and a Newbery Honor among them. He lives in New London, New Hampshire.

Imprint: Putnam Juvenile
Distributor: Penguin Group USA, Inc
Publication Date: 11-01-2007
Pages: 64
Measurements: 11.50in X 9.10in X 0.54in X 1.24lb