Poppy or the Snake? (Who's Got Game? Series #3)

by Toni Morrison, Slade Morrison

Overview

A hip, sly, exuberant retelling of Aesop's Man and the Serpent fable, for children of all ages—written by Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison and her son Slade Morrison, and ingeniously illustrated by Pascal Lemaitre.

In this clever riff on Aesop, Poppy feels guilty when he accidentally drives over Snake, and he decides to risk being bitten in order to free the sassy reptile. But snake wants more. This is a sly tale about who gets the last laugh.

We, the creators of the Who's Got Game? series were inspired by the wonder of Aesop's Fables—their vitality, their endless demand for more interpretations. In our versions the original stories are opened up and their moralistic endings reimagined: the victim might not lose; the timid gets a chance to become strong; the fool can gain insight; the powerful may lose their grip. Anything can happen!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781476792705
Publisher:	Scribner
Publication date:	06/14/2014
Series:	Who's Got Game? , #3
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	36
Product dimensions:	6.50(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.30(d)

About the Author

Toni Morrison (1931–2019) was a Nobel Prize–winning American author, editor, and professor. Her contributions to the modern canon are numerous. Some of her acclaimed titles include: The Bluest Eye, Song of Solomon, and Beloved, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1988. She won the 1993 Nobel Prize for Literature.

Slade Morrison was born in Ohio and educated in New York City. He studied art at SUNY Purchase and collaborated with his mother, Toni Morrison, on their books for children.

Hometown:

Princeton, New Jersey, and Manhattan

Date of Birth:

February 18, 1931

Date of Death:

August 5, 2019

Place of Birth:

Lorain, Ohio

Place of Death:

New York

Education:

Howard University, B.A. in English, 1953; Cornell, M.A., 1955

Editorial Reviews

A smattering of picture books contribute to existing series. Mother and son collaborators Toni and Slade Morrison bring forth another modern take on an Aesop fable in Who's Got Game? Poppy or the Snake, illus. by Pascal Lemaetre. Poppy tells his grandson the tale of a "sass-mouthed" snake who he accidentally ran over with his truck years ago. The snake convinces Poppy to take him home for a while ("You mean to tell me you not going to take me home and give me something to eat?"). This reworking puts the focus on the value of being careful and aware. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Morrison and son continue their retelling of Aesop's fables. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal