Old Meshikee and the Little Crabs

the long version

In this playful retelling of a traditional Ojibwe folktale, Michael Spooner and Lolita Taylor have captured the spirit of the mischievous, lovable trickster turtle, Old Meshikee. Old Meshikee plays his big old drum so loudly that the little sand crabs, the Shagizenz, can't hear themselves think -- let alone dance. Drastic measures are called for, and the frantic crabs decide to get rid of Old Meshikee once and for all. But that's more difficult to do than they'd hoped, because it's not for nothing that Old Meshikee got to be so big and so old. John Hart's wryly funny illustrations add a comic edge to this authentically told tale in which quick thinking and fast talking ensure that Old Meshikee lives to play his drum another day.