The Devils Who Learned to Be Good

by Michael McCurdy (Adapted by, Illustrator)

After feeding two starving beggars, an old Russian solider receives a magical flour sack and deck of playing cards which help him to remove some pesky devils from the Tsar’s palace.

32 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Michael McCurdy was an American illustrator, author, and publisher. He illustrated over 200 books in his career, including ten that he authored. Most were illustrated with his trademark black and white wood engravings, with occasional color illustrations. His illustrations often have historical or natural themes.

Reviews

[Coenraad · Rating 5 out of 5]

McCurdy se volksverhaal word net so sterk vertel deur die teks as deur die illustrasies, en die vertaling is 'n lus om te lees.

[Random Scholar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an interesting Russian folktale about a retired soldier who trains devils to be good. What stood out to me the most about this story was the illustrations. They appear to be made with wood blocks and are very finely detailed. The illustrations also give an interesting face to the devils with human bodies and very long noses. Another thing that stood out to me about this story was the way the soldier interacted with the devils. He was able to create a fair society over time by employing them with the riches he won from a card game. This book was marked as a Soviet Union themed folktale and the tale took place in Russia. I am one hundred percent certain this folktale was written as a political commentary on what ideal government in Russia would look like if everyone earned a livable wage. I imagine this folktale originated at a time when life in Russia was even harder because the author mentioned that this tale was inspired by a book from his great grandmother. I would read this to students wanting to learn more about folktales with political and spiritual undertones.