Epossumondas Plays Possum

Does Epossumondas have "the sense he was born with"? When he disregards his mother's warning about the loup-garou (werewolf) and follows a butterfly into the swamp, one can only wonder. In his forgetful way, Epossumondas wanders along and encounters an array of swamp creatures. Cynthia Darlow's gentle Southern accent complements Colleen Salley's distinctive storytelling. Darlow hisses, snorts, and snarls with the vitality of the meanest of swamp cats, snakes, hogs, and buzzards. The repeated phrases, such as "I don't eat no dead meat," are elongated; each moniker, such as "Honey" or "Sugar," is as sweet as can be. As Epossumondas, Darlow is distinctively nasal and innocently confident. Swamp sound effects provide a realistic backdrop; an author's note about the loup-garou concludes the production. A.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine

September 14, 2009
In the late Salley's last picture book, the fourth to feature Epossumondas and his Mama, Mama warns the possum to steer clear of the swamp because the dreaded “loup-garou snatches right up with its big ugly claws!” But Epossumondas follows a butterfly into the eerie swamplands, where a series of threatening animals pass by Epossumondas, who plays dead. Rich with Southern flavor—when Epossumondas returns from the swamp, Mama exclaims, “You don't have the sense you were born with! You gotta run away from those
fearsome critters, too!”—it's an immersive piece of storytelling. Ages 3–7.