“Don’t take what ain’t yours . . . just because it was lying there,” teaches the mysterious creature in this eerie Southern tall tale. A hungry trapper learns his lesson when he eats the tail of a furry animal with glowing eyes and long, sharp claws, and the creature returns, looking for his taileebone. Otis hides under the covers when there is a strange moaning in the wind outside and a creepy hole appears suddenly in the cabin wall. When the animal sneaks into Otis’s bed at night, the trapper disappears from his cabin without a trace. From start to finish, this is a hair-raising tale about what becomes of Otis and his furry dinner guest.
About the Author
Tom McDermott is a singer, speaker, and storyteller who has performed in festivals across the country and abroad. He has been published in Storytelling Magazine and has received numerous awards, including first place in storytelling at the National Irish Storytelling Contest and the John Henry Faulk Award. McDermott is also the creator of Keep the Beat, a performance-based program that teaches children rhythm skills using everyday items. A United Methodist minister, he earned a master of divinity degree from Brite Divinity School.
About the Illustrator
Jeff Crosby is a writer and illustrator who teaches at the Museum of Fine Arts Austin. In 2008, he was selected as a ForeWord Juvenile Nonfiction Book of the Year Gold Medal recipient for Little Lions, Bull Baiters & Hunting Hounds: A History of Dog Breeds, which he co-wrote and illustrated with his wife, Shelley Ann Jackson. His artwork has appeared in Scholastic Magazine and the New York Times. He currently resides in Austin, Texas, and is a member of several art associations, including the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
OTIS STEELE AND THE TAILEEBONE
A Southern Tall Tale
By Tom McDermott
Illustrated by Jeff Crosby
JUVENILE FICTION / Fairy Tales & Folklore / General
JUVENILE FICTION / Horror & Ghost Stories
32 pp. 8 1/2 x 11
31 illus.
ISBN: 9781455617364