...and before you know it there were people going up and down every road in the land from where they was at, a'wards where they was born to. And walkin down one of those roads was a very famous person. You probably know the name - yes, that's right, his name was Jack, and he was from a town called the Mount of Pearls, which was just outsida Bethlehem. Jack and the Manger retells the story of Jesuss birth as if it were a Newfoundland folktale. Its all seen through the eyes of Jack, the hero of many a story, who befriends a young couple on their walk to Bethlehem. Theres a bit of angel talk, some gravel pit camping, an edge-of-your-seat birth drama, and the low-down on how Caesar Augustuss count-and-tax plan brought them all together. Its a down-to-earth version of a heavenly tale. Gentle, playful and very funny, Jack and the Manger is the second in an on-going series of Jack tales, combining the talents of Andy Jones, one of Newfoundlands finest storytellers and actors, and Darka Erdelji, one of its most distinctive artists. It was a Christmas sensation in St. Johns when it was first published, and is sure to please even the most Grinch-like of readers. Erdelji, whose illustrations for The Queen of Paradises Garden were widely praised, captures the sly wit, intelligence and great heartedness of Joness tale in her pictures once again. Jack and the Manger is a fine Christmas tale for young and old alike. The book was designed by Veselina Tomova of Vis-a-Vis Graphics, St. Johns, and printed by The Lowe-Martin Group in Ottawa, Ontario.

"Once upon a time, and a very good time it was, not in your time, indeed not in my time, but in olden times, when quart bottles held half a gallon and houses were papered with pancakes and pigs run about with forks stuck in their backs seein who wanted a slice o' ham, there were two old people and they never had no children, and they figured they were too old to ever have any."

So begins "The Queen of Paradise's Garden," a wonderful adaptation of a traditional Newfoundland tale, and the first in an ongoing series that combines the telling wit and resonant language of acclaimed Newfoundland actor, writer and comedian Andy Jones with the charming illustrations of Slovenian-born puppeteer and artist Darka Erdelji.

Of course, it's clear from the story's beginning that there are children on the way, and one of those children is Jack, the delightful, mischievous, big-hearted hero of so many Newfoundland tales. Told with the humour, warmth and sly wit that have made Jones one of the Island's finest and best-loved storytellers, "The Queen of Paradise's Garden" follows Jack on his way to the land of the Queen of Paradise, three miles this side of the end of the world, where he searches for a magic fruit to make his parents young again, and finds quite a few other handy things as well.

The story is a free adaptation of a tale told by Albert Heber Keeping of Grand Bank, which he got from Billy Quann of Sagona Island; Keeping's version was published in Herbert Halpert and John Widdowson's seminal collection, "Folktales of Newfoundland."

Award-winning storyteller Andy Jones and illustrator Darka Erdelji are back, with Jack, the King of Ashes - another riotously funny Jack tale. This time Jack spends all his time hove off in the coal box. Then one day he shakes off those ashes and sets out on an adventure that includes sneaky robbers, a "famous missing princess with reward attached," an always-surprising canine sidekick, a royal wedding, a lovelorn rooster-puppet, a conniving ship's captain, corpses, curses, kisses, coats and a whole lot more Steeped in Newfoundland folk tradition, Jack, the King of Ashes shows CODCO alumnus Andy Jones at the top of his form. His quirky and delightful humour is unstoppable. Darka Erdelji's illustrations offer a wonderful, witty counterpoint to the story, enriching and embellishing it. Jones and Erdelji's last collaboration, Jack and Mary in the Land of Thieves won the 2012 BMO Winterset Award honouring excellence in Newfoundland and Labrador literature in any genre.

Now the Land of Thieves, as you can probably guess, was beyond the limb of the law. It was lousy with robbers, rowdies, thieves, preachers, bullyboys, hooligans, scofflaws, skullies, skeets, and sleeveens. Just about the only honest people in the land were Jack and Mary. And they worked as hard as ever they could, and by and by they grew to be rich. Award-winning storyteller Andy Jones and acclaimed illustrator Darka Erdelji are back with another whimsical, wise, and witty Jack tale. Jack and Mary in the Land of Thieves finds Jack, that everyman of folktales, married to his sweetheart Mary, the best woman ever born and a mighty fine baker to boot. Their lives are as happy and successful as can be, until an underhanded sea captain and Jacks own bragging get the better of our hero. Jack is sent the once to work on Slave Islands and Mary is turned out of house and home. But Mary is resolute and resourceful, and has plans to find Jack and restore their fortunes. Inspired by several traditional and classic works, including Shakespeares Cymbeline, the medieval tale of Frederick of Jennen, and the Newfoundland story Jack and the Slave Islands, Andy Jones has crafted a funny, moving, and delightfully original story about love, treachery, perseverance, and cherry cake. Darka Erdeljis gorgeous illustrations capture the drama, humour, and beauty of this wonderful tale. With a hidden key, a storm at sea, and a singing mynah bird named Baxter who carries more than his share of tunes, Jack and Mary in the Land of Thieves will delight youngsters and oldsters alike. As a special bonus, the melodies of all of Baxters songs are included, so that readers can learn them, sing them, and share them. The melodies, created by Andy Jones, were inspired by several traditional tunes; Pamela Morgan kindly helped with the musical notation. Designed by Veselina Tomova, of Vis a Vis Graphics (St. Johns, NL). Want to know more about the book? You'll find some fun background information on our blog.

Jack o' Hearts is the top card player in the parish, and is feeling pretty sure of himself. When a mysterious green stranger challenges him to a card game with higher than high stakes - well, Jack can't resist. Sure, he's never lost a tournament yet, has he? Jack is as saucy as saucy can be, and he's twice as lucky as that - but the game is trickier than it looks. Luckily, Jack finds he's got an ace up his sleeve: the menacing green man's beautiful daughter Ann. She's got as much magic as her father (or so that enchantment crowd says), and she likes the look of Jack. This hilarious re-imagining of a traditional Newfoundland folktale is jam-packed with magic, romance, transformations, impossible tasks, unforgettable characters, a country song or two, and the ever-present threat of Jack's head ending up on a spear. A brilliant blending of folklore, high literature, and pop culture, Jack and the Green Man is Andy Jones and Darka Erdelji's most ambitious and most riotous Jack tale yet. Divided into 12 short chapters, this long-form, gorgeously illustrated storybook will delight readers and listeners of all ages. Previous books in this Jack tale series have won the BMO Winterset Award and the Bruneau Family Award for Children's/Young Adult Writing, and have been shortlisted for the Governor General's Literary Award for Illustrated Children's Book, the Silver Birch Express Award, the Ann Connor Brimer Award, and the Newfoundland and Labrador History and Heritage Award.

Jack o' Hearts is the top card player in the parish, and is feeling pretty sure of himself. When a mysterious green stranger challenges him to a card game with higher than high stakes - well, Jack can't resist. Sure, he's never lost a tournament yet, has he? Jack is as saucy as saucy can be, and he's twice as lucky as that - but the game is trickier than it looks. Luckily, Jack finds he's got an ace up his sleeve: the menacing green man's beautiful daughter Ann. She's got as much magic as her father (or so that enchantment crowd says), and she likes the look of Jack. This hilarious re-imagining of a traditional Newfoundland folktale is jam-packed with magic, romance, transformations, impossible tasks, unforgettable characters, a country song or two, and the ever-present threat of Jack's head ending up on a spear. A brilliant blending of folklore, high literature, and pop culture, Jack and the Green Man is Andy Jones and Darka Erdelji's most ambitious and most riotous Jack tale yet. Divided into 12 short chapters, this long-form, gorgeously illustrated storybook will delight readers and listeners of all ages. Previous books in this Jack tale series have won the BMO Winterset Award and the Bruneau Family Award for Children's/Young Adult Writing, and have been shortlisted for the Governor General's Literary Award for Illustrated Children's Book, the Silver Birch Express Award, the Ann Connor Brimer Award, and the Newfoundland and Labrador History and Heritage Award.

Award-winning storyteller Andy Jones and illustrator Darka Erdelji are back, with Jack, the King of Ashes - another riotously funny Jack tale. This time Jack spends all his time hove off in the coal box. Then one day he shakes off those ashes and sets out on an adventure that includes sneaky robbers, a "famous missing princess with reward attached," an always-surprising canine sidekick, a royal wedding, a lovelorn rooster-puppet, a conniving ship's captain, corpses, curses, kisses, coats and a whole lot more Steeped in Newfoundland folk tradition, Jack, the King of Ashes shows CODCO alumnus Andy Jones at the top of his form. His quirky and delightful humour is unstoppable. Darka Erdelji's illustrations offer a wonderful, witty counterpoint to the story, enriching and embellishing it. Jones and Erdelji's last collaboration, Jack and Mary in the Land of Thieves won the 2012 BMO Winterset Award honouring excellence in Newfoundland and Labrador literature in any genre.

Now the Land of Thieves, as you can probably guess, was beyond the limb of the law. It was lousy with robbers, rowdies, thieves, preachers, bullyboys, hooligans, scofflaws, skullies, skeets, and sleeveens. Just about the only honest people in the land were Jack and Mary. And they worked as hard as ever they could, and by and by they grew to be rich. Award-winning storyteller Andy Jones and acclaimed illustrator Darka Erdelji are back with another whimsical, wise, and witty Jack tale. Jack and Mary in the Land of Thieves finds Jack, that everyman of folktales, married to his sweetheart Mary, the best woman ever born and a mighty fine baker to boot. Their lives are as happy and successful as can be, until an underhanded sea captain and Jacks own bragging get the better of our hero. Jack is sent the once to work on Slave Islands and Mary is turned out of house and home. But Mary is resolute and resourceful, and has plans to find Jack and restore their fortunes. Inspired by several traditional and classic works, including Shakespeares Cymbeline, the medieval tale of Frederick of Jennen, and the Newfoundland story Jack and the Slave Islands, Andy Jones has crafted a funny, moving, and delightfully original story about love, treachery, perseverance, and cherry cake. Darka Erdeljis gorgeous illustrations capture the drama, humour, and beauty of this wonderful tale. With a hidden key, a storm at sea, and a singing mynah bird named Baxter who carries more than his share of tunes, Jack and Mary in the Land of Thieves will delight youngsters and oldsters alike. As a special bonus, the melodies of all of Baxters songs are included, so that readers can learn them, sing them, and share them. The melodies, created by Andy Jones, were inspired by several traditional tunes; Pamela Morgan kindly helped with the musical notation. Designed by Veselina Tomova, of Vis a Vis Graphics (St. Johns, NL). Want to know more about the book? You'll find some fun background information on our blog.