Sixteen stories of the mighty magician Nanabush, who created the world and was able to asssume any shape simply by wishing.

Troubling Tricksters is a collection of theoretical essays, creative pieces, and critical ruminations that provides a re-visioning of trickster criticism in light of recent backlash against it. The complaints of some Indigenous writers, the critique from Indigenous nationalist critics, and the changing of academic fashion have resulted in few new studies on the trickster. For example, The Cambridge Companion to Native American Literature (2005), includes only a brief mention of the trickster, with skeptical commentary. And, in 2007, Anishinaabe scholar Niigonwedom Sinclair (a contributor to this volume) called for a moratorium on studies of the trickster irrelevant to the specific experiences and interests of Indigenous nations. One of the objectives of this anthology is, then, to encourage scholarship that is mindful of the critic’s responsibility to communities, and to focus discussions on incarnations of tricksters in their particular national contexts. The contribution of Troubling Tricksters, therefore, is twofold: to offer a timely counterbalance to this growing critical lacuna, and to propose new approaches to trickster studies, approaches that have been clearly influenced by the nationalists’ call for cultural and historical specificity.

For centuries, people around the world have been telling stories about tricksters—characters who solve problems by using their wits to fool others. Sometimes, these tricksters want to help people. Other times, they use their cleverness for selfish reasons. Occasionally, they aren’t as clever as they think and are tricked themselves. Although trickster tales from different countries are similar in many ways, story details, problems to be solved and the personalities of characters reflect the beliefs and values of the culture from which they come. Not only are trickster stories entertaining, they also teach readers things about themselves. And they show how, through wit and inventiveness, unlikely or underappreciated characters often can succeed. In A Book of Tricksters, Jon C. Stott has collected traditional trickster tales from 14 different countries, including “How Anansi Brought Stories to the People” (Ghana), “How Zhao Paid His Taxes” (China), “How Kancil Built a Crocodile Bridge” (Indonesia) and “How Maui Discovered the Secret of Fire” (Hawaii).

A selected bibliography of literature from 1980-1990 by and about African -Amer., Amer. Indians, Asian-Amer., and Hispanic Amer. Covers: history, people and places; poetry; folklore, mythology and traditional literature; seasons and celebrations; books for babies; concept books; issues in today's world; biographies; understanding oneself and others; picture books; fiction for new readers, young readers and teenagers. Appendices: lists authors and illustrators of color by ethnic origin; ethnic/cultural groups by country; and recommended resources.

Remote and rugged, Michigan's Upper Peninsula (fondly known as "the U.P.") has been home to a rich variety of indigenous peoples and Old World immigrants--a heritage deeply embedded in today's "Yooper" culture. Ojibwes, French Canadians, Finns, Cornish, Poles, Italians, Slovenians, and others have all lived here, attracted to the area by its timber, mineral ore, and fishing grounds. Mixing local happenings with supernatural tales and creatively adapting traditional stories to suit changing audiences, the diverse inhabitants of the U.P. have created a wealth of lore populated with tricksters, outlaws, cunning trappers and poachers, eccentric bosses of the mines and lumber camps, "bloodstoppers" gifted with the lifesaving power to stop the flow of blood, "bearwalkers" able to assume the shape of bears, and more. For folklorist Richard M. Dorson, who ventured into the region in the late 1940s, the U.P. was a living laboratory, a storyteller's paradise. Bloodstoppers and Bearwalkers, based on his extensive fieldwork in the area, is his richest and most enduring work. This new edition, with a critical introduction and an appendix of additional tales selected by James P. Leary, restores and expands Dorson's classic contribution to American folklore. Engaging and well informed, the book presents and ponders the folk narratives of the region's loggers, miners, lake sailors, trappers, and townsfolk. Unfolding the variously peculiar and raucous tales of the U.P., Bloodstoppers and Bearwalkers reveals a vital component of Upper Midwest culture and a fascinating cross-section of American society.

The 1st ed. includes an index to v. 28-36 of St. Nicholas.