The Legend of the Jersey Devil

by Trinka Hakes Noble, Gerald Kelley (Illustrator)

Overview

The Pine Barrens region in New Jersey has long been a place of mystery, with its dark pine groves, black swamps, and dank bogs, oftentimes shrouded in mist and fog. Reputed to be haunted by spirits, it’s an unsettling place to be sure. But of all the mysterious happenings and sights to be found in the Pine Barrens, there is none so intriguing as the Jersey Devil. Since its first reported sighting in 1735, local lore has it that a “devil-like” creature with the head of a horse, the wings of a bat, and the hooves of a goat has menaced townspeople, frightened livestock, and caused all manner of trouble over the years. Is the Jersey Devil real? Award-winning author Trinka Hakes Noble weaves a spellbinding tale about the origins of the legend of the Jersey Devil. Atmospheric illustrations by artist Gerald Kelley bring the tale to spooky life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781585368372
Publisher:	Sleeping Bear Press
Publication date:	08/05/2013
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	11.10(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

Editorial Reviews

A perfect choice to read for Halloween, or any other time that calls for scary stories! This is also a great story to learn for a storytelling competition, or just to read in any group setting. It all starts in 1735, in what would become the state of New Jersey, in the hamlet of Leeds point. Mother Leeds was giving birth to her thirteenth child on a dark and stormy night. The pain was unbearable, and Mother Leeds was angry that there would be yet another child. In her agony she screamed “Oh, let it be a devil!” To everyone’s astonishment—it was. Through the years the devil tormented the town, even driving the local preacher to take a sip of Jersey Lightning to steady his nerves at a local inn. Among the listening ears were some city slickers from Philadelphia and New York City, who immediately began plotting the capture of this beast. Just as quickly, devil hunters from all over descended on the town, cutting down trees, knocking over fences, draining swamps, and capturing cows. Such a commotion for one creature! Factories and schools were closed. Dogs were afraid to venture outside. The local folk had had enough disturbances and decided they preferred a devil they knew to devils they did not, so... the Jersey Devil chased the outsiders out and who knows—he could still be keeping outsiders away! Kelley’s large, folk-like illustrations with muted colors enhance the legend and really set the tone for this work. It can be frightening for the very young or the easily disturbed; otherwise this is a book many will want to add to their “folk tale and scary stories shelves. Reviewer: Elizabeth Young; Ages 8 to 12.

Children's Literature - Elizabeth Young

Gr 2–4—Legend has it that Mother Leeds gave birth to the Jersey Devil, her monstrous 13th child, on a Halloweeen night some 300 years ago. The Devil, complete with a forked tail, the hooves of a goat, horns growing out of its head, bat's wings, and glowing eyes, is said to haunt the Pine Barrens of southern New Jersey, frightening lone travelers and livestock, souring milk, and stealing pies. Noble does a capable job of capturing the atmosphere of the setting, with its black swamps and murky bogs. She conveys enough of the details of the Devil's alleged activities to make the tale deliciously spooky, omitting some of the more grisly possibilities. Kelley reinforces the spookiness with effective use of light and shadow, although his people too often verge on cartoon caricature, so that facial expressions that are supposed to reflect fear and terror seem laughable instead. There is little available for this age group on this folklore character, making this is a serviceable addition for those feeling the need to have him represented in their collections. There are no source notes.—Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ

School Library Journal

A delightfully spooky picture-book rendering of the famed Jersey Devil legend. From a state rife with disreputable characters, Noble here depicts perhaps its most otherworldly resident, the Jersey Devil, whose existence dates back to colonial folklore of 1735. On an archetypally dark and stormy night in the remote Pine Barrens, a coastal region distinguished by "black swamps and murky bogs" fed by brackish water, as Mother Leeds is in labor with her 13th child, she curses, "Oh let it be a devil!" With requisite lightning and thunderclap, she gets her wish: A monstrous creature--with a horse's head, horns, bat wings, cloven hooves, forked tail and glowing eyes, and capable of breathing fire--is born, destined by its parenting and chimeric looks to become an outcast. Kelley's arresting watercolors heighten the ghoulish drama, with vivid facial expressions and atmospheric tendrils of lightning and mist. From a callous mother who doesn't want her child and a town that reviles difference to a scheming preacher, businessmen and bounty hunters looking to profit from a freak of nature, Noble's mythological subject must struggle to overcome humanity at its worst, blending psychology with the stuff of ghastly legend. Overcome it he does, eventually winning the hearts of the people of the Pine Barrens, who adopt him for their own. Suspenseful, with captivating illustrations. (Picture book/folktale. 6-10)

Kirkus Reviews