#957 of 1001 · March 15, 2023

Here, smack-dab in the middle of Name of the Helper Week, husband-and-wife team Harve and Margot Zemach have provided the entertainment with their lively adaptation of Duffy and the Devil. A rich squire sees a young lady being thrown out by her own mother, who claims she does not a lick of work to help out around the house. The daughter claims to be able to spin and knit wonderfully, and so the squire brings her home with him. However, the maiden, Duffy, was lying, and so is forced to engage the help of a little man with a long tail, who willingly makes clothing for her. Thanks to the wonderful craftsmanship of these garments, the squire makes Duffy his wife. However, the mysterious little being soon names his price: he threatens to take the young woman away with him unless she can guess his name. Then, a stroke of luck—the squire, out on a hunt, accidentally falls down a hole into a den of witches, and amid the wild revelries he overhears the creature’s name: Tarraway. Harve Zemach (real name Harvey Fischtrom) constructs a delightfully energetic story, enhanced by Margot Zemach’s loose line and rich color. A note for folklore enthusiasts: In the oral story, collected by Robert Hunt in Popular Romances of the West of England; or, The Drolls, Traditions, and Superstitions of Old Cornwall (1871), the devil’s name is Terrytop. Reasons for the change are unclear. #devil #spin #spinning #knit #knitting #witches #name #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbooks #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookillustrations #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks