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When Apples Grew Noses and White Horses Flew

Tales of Ti-Jean
by Jan Andrews
When Apples Grew Noses and White Horses Flew: Tales of Ti-Jean by Jan Andrews; illus. by Dušan Petričić Intermediate Groundwood 69 pp. 4/11 978-0-88899-952-8 $16.95
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Ti-Jean, the cheerful, hapless, ultimately triumphant stripling of French-Canadian folklore—typically the youngest son—makes a winning appearance in three tales of European origin lightly transposed to a New World setting. Andrews (Out of the Everywhere, rev. 9/01) is a storyteller herself, and these zesty, well-paced texts virtually read themselves. "Cric, crac, / Parli, parlons, parlo. / If you won't listen, / Out you go." In "Ti-Jean and the Princess of Tomboso," Ti-Jean, tricked three times by the very pretty princess, tricks her into losing her good looks to regain his losses. In "Ti-Jean the Marble Player," playing marbles with a wily manikin launches Ti-Jean on a perilous quest replete with magic boots, wands, and whistles. The simplest and most engaging of the stories, "How Ti-Jean Became a Fiddler," is strung on a familiar motif—the high-risk contest to win a princess by stumping her with a question—but takes more than one fresh, deftly modern turn. Source notes are appended, but these are not so much retellings or even adaptations as simpatico re-imaginings. Sly Petričić drawings underpin the fun throughout. BARBARA BADER
Gr 2—6—Three funny tales tell of the adventure of the Canadian folk hero Ti-Jean. He outsmarts a spoiled princess; battles wits with Bonnet Rouge, a Rumpelstiltskin-like character; and befriends local townspeople while saving his brothers and marrying a princess. Taking on a slightly different role in each story, Ti-Jean is likable and humble. The book would be an entertaining read-aloud for a classroom and a good companion piece to the study of American folktales. Andrews even encourages readers to make up their own Ti-Jean stories. Struggling readers might have a harder time reading this book independently, as there is unfamiliar vocabulary. Petričić's black-pencil drawings add to the book's appeal and playfulness. A source note gives a brief history of Ti-Jean and the origins of the tales. Quite frankly, three stories are simply not enough!—Kari Allen, National Writing Project, Plymouth State University, NH
Ti-Jean, cheerful, hapless stripling of French-Canadian folklore, makes a winning appearance in three tales of European origin lightly transposed to a New World setting. Andrews is a storyteller, and these zesty, well-paced texts virtually read themselves. Source notes are appended, but these are not so much retellings or even adaptations as simpatico re-imaginings. Petričić's sly drawings underpin the fun throughout.
Readers, especially fairy-tale fans, will enjoy these fresh, lively folktales starring Ti-Jean, a traditional French-Canadian character who creatively gets himself in and out of trouble. Ti-Jean is an amusing and endearing hero. He’s tricked by a princess when he can’t stop thinking about how pretty she is; he’s cheerful and hardworking, but can’t resist a game of marbles. “The only thing he isn’t ever is rich,” Jan Andrews writes. Dušan Petričić’s illustrations are humorous and clever. The scenes of a greedy princess—eating an apple while lolling on her throne, staring starry-eyed at a purse of gold coins, and teetering dangerously on a nose that’s grown down to her ankles—are especially fun.

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