The Six Fools

We picked up The Six Fools at the Library as part of our ongoing study of myth, folklore and legends...it's one of the few African American stories that my branch of the library has on the shelf and I'm glad I did. Here we have the story of a young man who becomes engaged and discovers that his fiancé and her parents are fools and so he decides that he's going to go out into the world and if he can find three fools bigger than them, he'll return to marry the daughter. The Six Fools is one of those rather surreal tales that doesn't really make much sense, but are a joy to read...filled with humor and images that will entertain children and adults alike. Does our young man find three fools and return to marry the girl...but of course, the world is full of fools, but you'll have to read to find out exactly how foolish the people he encounters are! A joy to read for adults and kids alike, I give The Six Fools four stars, both the text and the illustrations work well tighter in this story, recommended!

The Six Fools is a story/folk tale collected by Zora Neal Hurston. This tale interweaves the surrealism of African Folklore and Hurston's abstract style for a story that is full of enchantment all the while set to the tone of a children's book. The story is creatively spun with Hurston's unique fashion and use of rich dialect. Encouraging the audience to be drawn in at the conflict of the story, which entails the protagonist confronting his future `family to be' with a challenge. He informs them that in order to marry their daughter, he must make a journey in order to find three additional "fools" as big as they. The tale continues and ends with magical word play and wonderful imagery. Ms. Thomas has skillfully adapted/translated this tale to a comprehensive yet comical story for children. The illustrations by Ms. Tanksley are vibrant, colorful miniature works of art that can tell a story without dialogue. Eleanor S. Shields, Black Butterfly Review