Precious and the Boo Hag

Written by Patricia McKissack and O.J. Moss

Narrated by Sisi Aisha Johnson

Patricia C. McKissack's books have received numerous awards, including the Coretta Scott King, Newbery Honor and the Caldecott Medal. She teams up with storyteller Onawumi Jean Moss for this suspenseful, but not too scary, story taken from Gullah folklore. Left home alone because of a stomachache, Precious cleverly outwits the Boo Hag by singing her own wonderful little song.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 22, 2013
• ISBN: 9781470356422

Patricia McKissack

Patricia McKissack (1944-2017) was a children's author who published more than 100 books of fiction and nonfiction, with a particular interest in the African American experience. She received a Coretta Scott King–Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement as well as three individual Coretta Scott King Awards for A Long Hard Journey: The Story of the Pullman Porter, The Dark-Thirty: Southern Tales of the Supernatural, and Christmas in the Big House, Christmas in the Quarters (all written with her husband, Fredrick McKissack).

Reviews for Precious and the Boo Hag

[acreel-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Precious has a stomach ache. She is to be left alone at home because it was corn planting time and the field needed a lot of help. Her mother warns her not to open the door for anyone or anything and to stay inside. Her brother tells her about the boo hag that is a bad woman and will try to disguise herself to get in the house. So Precious experience three different people who try to get in the house who happen to be the Boo Hag. When her mother gets home, she is so proud of her for not letting her in. This is a great book that will teach children to not let anyone into their homes when their parents aren't there.

[jenj5 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Precious was up all night with a stomach ache, but the rest of the family can't take off work, so she has to stay home all alone for the day. Clearly feeling better, Precious is enjoying her day alone although she's a little worried because her brother warned her about Pruella the Boo Hag. Sure enough Pruella comes to call, but Precious manages to outsmart her each time. Kyrsten Brooker's illustrations are done in collage and oil paints with browns and blues dominating. The two page spreads are done in two different styles. The first style has spot illustrations on the page with text and a facing full page illustration in a wooden frame. The second style has the illustration covering both facing pages with no framing. The folk-style compositions match the folk-tale like feeling although since there's no notes, I assume this is an original tale. This would work quite well as a read-aloud with Precious' recurring song.

[conuly · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Precious is a real heroine, being brave and clever and - thankfully - sensible. She doesn't let anybody into the house, which is just the way it should be. I could read this book again and again with my nieces.It *is* a little scary - if you have a sensitive child, read this book before buying it. Also, the characters do not speak Standard American English but use a nonstandard dialect - "Boo Hags aine too smart", for example. This does not concern me - I think it's better to expose children to a wide variety of speech patterns - but if it is an issue for you, again, read before you buy.

[foster7_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A young girl named Precious has a stomachache, and spends the day alone at home. Her older brother warns her, before he and their mother leave the house to work in the fields, not to let a Boo Hag into the house. A Boo Hag, according to the brother, is a strange and scary creature. At one point, a woman comes to the window, but Precious does not let her in. Then, Precious' friend Addie comes to the window. Precious, however, sensed that this was a Boo Hag in disguise, and did not let her in. At the end of the day, Precious goes to sleep, pleased that she out-smarted the Boo Hag. However, we see that a Boo Hag might be lurking outside...Onawumi Jean Moss and Patricia McKissack co-wrote this story, and I think it has the capability of frightening young readers. Hopefully, though, readers at the right age will be delighted by the bravery and spunk of Precious. The story almost has a fairy-tale ring to it, and is uniquely illustrated by Kyrsten Brooker, with a combination of collage and oil paints. I love this combination, in which we see a real teddy bear, apron, and lace curtains, intermixed with oil paintings. The illustrations help reader see the wide range of emotions that Precious experiences that day, as well. She first appears very sick, then scared by her brother, then thrilled to be home alone, but scared again by the Boo Hag. My favorite of all of her expressions, is the satisfaction she exudes, after failing to be tricked by the Boo Hag, and sending her away.

[crystalr_78 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Would not use this book in a SDA school but it was an interesting story of how listing to your mother can keep you safe.