Epossumondas Saves the Day

Epossumondas

by Coleen Salley, Janet Stevens (Illustrator)

It’s Epossumondas's birthday, so Mama's whipping up his favorite biscuits. But she's plumb out of sody sallyraytus! (That's baking soda to all you Yankees.) Everybody knows you can’t make big, fluffy biscuits without sody. One by one, Baby Gator, Auntie, and Mama scoot to the store to fetch some. But when no one comes back, it’s up to Epossumondas to run out and see what’s what--until he runs smack into a great, huge, ugly Louisiana snapping turtle!

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Humor, Animals, Fiction, Fantasy

48 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

COLEEN SALLEY was a professor of children's literature for thirty years and now travels widely as a professional storyteller. A native of Louisiana, she lives in the French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Reviews

[Lulu Cares · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun book! Great illustrations. Enjoyed reading with my daughter.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super fun book!

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a very Southern saga, with a big-and-vivid personality. Contagiously vibrant!

Imagine Mama's predicament!

It’s Epossumondas's birthday, so Mama's whipping up his favorite biscuits.

But she's plumb out of sody sallyraytus! (That's baking soda to all you Yankees.) Everybody knows you can’t make big, fluffy biscuits without sody.

One by one, Baby Gator, Auntie, and Mama scoot to the store to fetch some.

But when no one comes back, it’s up to Epossumondas to run out and see what’s what--until he runs smack into a great, huge, ugly Louisiana snapping turtle!

Thumpin' gizzards!

It's a good-hearted, larger-than-life kind of picture book. FIVE STARS.

[Madeline Volkman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book with wonderful wording. When everyone goes missing, Epossumondas decides to take things into his own hands. But when he is going back, he finds out how everyone disappears. He takes matters into his own hands and saves the day. This book is funny and has a great line that the kids can say with you: "Sody! Sody! Sody sallyraytus!" I like this book because I read it to a class when I observed last spring and the kids' faces lit up when you make the book come alive.

[Travis Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars. Copyright 2006. Genre Fantasy. Theme do not eat baking soda. Favorite part of the book was when the giant snapping turtle swallowed too much baking soda and exploded. Would use this in my future classroom when exploring the fantasy genre.

[Stephanie Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up with my Grandma reading “Epaminondas” to me, so when I found this fun spin off of that, I had to get it. I read it as a read aloud to my 2nd/3rd graders awhile ago, and they loved it!

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bonus author's note about the real life location setting. Love the funny details, for example the saying "You're gooder 'n' grits."

[Elaine Fultz, Teacher Librarian, MLS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this crowd-pleaser with 1st graders this week and talking about regional folk tales. Good stuff.

[Cara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another laugh-out-loud adventure from Epossumondas.

[Megan Boomgarden]

This is a Southern tale about trying to get baking soda for making buscuits on Epossumondas's birthday. Mamma sends baby gator and auntie to the store to get baking soda (or the term the book used was "sody sallyraytus") but they were both eaten by a great huge ugly louisiana snapping turtle. Mamma eventually goea herslf and is also eaten up. The story ends with epossumondas defeating the snapping turtle and saving his mamma, auntie and baby gator. In this story, heroes come in a small package and the "good guy" win over the big mean turtle.

When i picked this story off the shelf, i had no idea what it was going to be about or how it was going to fit into traditional literature. the only reason i grabbed ti was because it had the little castle on the side. Even when i was reading this story i could not figure out what fairy tale it was representing or what traditional story it was derived from. At the end of the story there was an authors note and in it, she explained that variations of this tale have been told for generations. "sody sallyraytus" is a southern term for baking soda and this story is set in the Laural Valley of Southern Louisiana. The Authors note was definately a helpful tool for me and this book would be good for teaching about differetn cultures and lifestyles in the classroom.

[Marci · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH, my, if you have not discovered the Epossumondas books, you simply must. I've just read my first one: Epossumondas Saves the Day. It is as charming as fun picture books get. This southern tale of Mama and her diaper-wearing possum Epossumondas is filled with words that will make young audiences smile like "skedaddled," "meanders catawampus," "galumphed," and southern terms like "sody sallyraytus," the term for baking soda. Janet Stevens's illustrations are perfection, even patterning the character of Mama after the author herself, Coleen Salley. Introduce your young ones to Epossumondas, you won't be sorry. And if you don't read this book to your children with a southern accent for the voices of Epossumondas, Mama, the huge snapping turtle and others, you have totally missed the boat. I can't wait to read this to my grandkiddlies when they come for their next visit.

[Janna]

The characters in this story are different from any of the other stories I’ve read because a human character is the mom and the son is an animal. I thought this was weird and after reading the first page I wasn’t so sure if I would like this idea. The language was well crafted. The term “sody sallyraytus” was used for baking soda, and from the author’s note it says this was an old Southern term. There was also use of a simile that said, “That little possum was getting as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a roomful of rocking chairs.” The text also includes unique, descriptive words such as “galumphed,” “dawdling,” “lickety-split,” and “skedaddled.”

[Mrs. Cubby Culbertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read aloud that I love to share with the SMS FridyBoyz. One reason that I love these books sooo much is because I was fortunate to have the opportunity to hear Coleen Salley share these books aloud herself. What a treat! AND THEN, she autographed them and allowed me to have a picture made with her. She was SO cool. When you see "Mama" in Epossumondas, you see Coleen Salley. She lives on in the books she created.

[Chris Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

Epossumondas' friends and family disappear into the belly of a mean, old, ugly snapping turtle after leaving the store with the baking soda needed for his cake. Can he save them and his birthday party? This feels like an old fashioned folk tale with a satisfying plot and engaging characters. Illustrations are excellent, as usual for Janet Stevens.

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have never quite understood these books until I listened to this one on audio-love the reader's Louisianan accent. Never realized this title is based upon the "sody, sody, sallyratus" tale of old which usually is my favorite one to read to Kindergarteners. I will have to use this version next time.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another cute story about Epossumondas. It has a bit of southern vocabulary that will not be familiar to some, including "sody sallyratus". The illustrations, once again, are interesting and do contribute greatly to the story. This story contains a character-eating giant snapping turtle which might be scary to young children.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was Epossumondas' birthday party. They needed more backing soda so his friend went to get it and the turtle ate him up. After everyone was eaten up Epossumondas went looking for them and saved everyone from the big turtle.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even more fun than Epossumondas.

[Trooly · Rating 5 out of 5]

INCREDIBLE illustrations add visual oomph to a wonderfully well-written children's story. Kids and adults alike will find this a truly delightful read!

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Children's book....I love all of the Epossumondas books, the illustrations are fabulous...however, you must read the story in a Cajun accent...

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Epossumondas Saves the Day
by Coleen Salley
a silly read aloud story

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

variant on "Sody Sallyraytus"

[Josianne Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read aloud. The kindergarteners leave the room singing "sody, sody, sody sallyraytus" or "great, huge, ugly Louisiana snapping turtle!" and I'm singing along with them!

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reminiscent of Jack Kent's "The Fat Cat" but with a much gentler method of getting the characters out.

[Kaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

My girls just love this book, and I enjoy reading it aloud in my best (if inauthentic) Southern accent.

[Magila · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has to be the absolute best one of this entire series. There was quite a bit of repetition which is good for early readers. And the story itself was the most interesting by far.

[Christine]

Lovely drawings! Brave young possum saves his human relatives after they're eaten by a snapping turtle. Lots of text!

[Juliana Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was baby possum's birthday and Mama was making his cake when she realized she was out of sody sallyraytus (baking soda) so she sent Baby Gator to the store to get some more. Then she sent Auntie. Then she went herself. They each crossed the creek on stepping stones, but on their way home one of the stepping stones, a giant Louisiana snapping turtle, came out of the water and snapped them up whole. Finally, baby possum goes out in search of everyone and meets that mean snapping turtle himself. But baby possum climbs a tree and throws boxes of sody sallyraytus into the turtle's big mouth until he explodes like a birthday balloon releasing his family and baby Gator so they could all go home to celebrate his birthday.