Working at a plantation in his youth, Joel Chandler Harris found that much of his shyness disappeared in the slave QTLYters, and his background as the illegitimate son of an Irish immigrant helped fuse a close bond with the slaves. The language of his new friends and the African-American animal tales they shared later became the inspiration for Joel’s beloved Uncle Remus stories. When Harris recorded the many Brer Rabbit stories from the African-American oral tradition, little did he know that it would revolutionize children’s literature. As an adult, Harris committed to healing post-Civil War America, stressing regional and racial reconciliation during and after the Reconstruction era.
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"I think it's such a shame that the politically correct literary critics of the world have somehow managed to call this book racist. It reflects a certain time and mindset, I guess, but what it is is a bunch of gloriously imaginative animal stories for children."
— Mary (5 out of 5 stars)
" Written in southern vernacular. A delight. Even better to be read outloud. My dad used to read us these stories. They are southern versions of aesop's tales. The language is a joy. "
— Jessica, 8/15/2013" Read this, the original, and forget about Walt Disney. Please. "
— Neil, 12/26/2010" I did a research project in undergrad on the origins and language of these stories. If you ever want to know about this author or these stories...ask. "
— Alexandra, 9/27/2010" I loved these stories. They capture so much about life - not just in the South but at the core of people. "
— Melissa, 1/17/2010" I liked the trickster tales the best. "
— JoAnn, 1/3/2010" We absolutely loved these stories (just read the first section: Uncle Remus, His Songs and His Sayings), but beware the "n" word. Dialect can be confusing to read as well. Definitely an edited read-aloud in our family. "
— Debbie, 9/15/2009" If you are into linguistics this book is brilliant. A peek into linguistics that shapes the US. "
— Kerrmuellers, 10/24/2008" preserves the tales of the old plantation "
— Daniel, 10/6/2008" This is NOT the disney version of Uncle Remus. <br/> "
— Susanne, 5/22/2008
Joel Chandler Harris (1848–1908) collected the folktales of Southern African Americans and retold them as classic stories of Uncle Remus, a fictitious old slave who spun stories to a boy from “the big house of a plantation.” He wrote five books featuring Uncle Remus and his stories of Brer Rabbit and friends, and the first, Uncle Remus: His Songs and Sayings, was published in 1880.
Robin Field is the AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator of numerous audiobooks, as well as an award-winning actor, singer, writer, and lyricist whose career has spanned six decades. He has starred on and off Broadway, headlined at Carnegie Hall, authored numerous musical reviews, and hosted or performed on a number of television and radio programs over the years.