Publisher's Synopsis
An exciting scary story about how the jack o'lantern came to be... and the interesting character behind it! Misunderstood children often survive bullying to become heroes who watch after us all!The story of JACK describes the Celtic personality and gives comfort to people from a matriarchal tradition as they live within a patriarchal-style culture that has come to dominate and conquer the earth in the recent few millennia. The rogue troublemaker, seemingly without discipline or law has a tough, windy, winding road in a male-dominated society. JACK is forever getting into trouble, but is a good hearted and gentle soul, and more often than not- truly saves the day. JACK has become the archetype for the everyperson hero in the stories of American film and literature, and is evident in the Celtic traditions of European, British, and American peoples.The Story of JACK comes from a harsher time, when consequences were severe for children out at night. Hungry animals hunting in the central square, starving handicapped people, diseased people, and all manner of the disenfranchised and uncared-for individuals threatened a small town lacking the resources to help those in need: all this presented a clear and present danger to any children out after dark. All holiday traditions are adaptations of this theme, caring for the needy and less fortunate; gifts under a lighted tree in the woods near town; children posing as beggers asking for candy; these are the oasis of charity for at least one night of the year. Modern society produces a wealth of supplies and systems and technologies to this very purpose.In these harsher times of long ago, where resourses were horded and few, JACK was styled as a cautionary tale for parents to tell to children to keep them out of trouble. It is literally tyranny- an attempt to use fear to manipulate behavior. To keep the kids from going out at night, they were told that the nightwatchman's lantern they saw was a heinous apparition- a headless fright! I've presented my version as an historical origins story, the origin of Halloween. As modern methods of childrearing, education, and even our entire American governmental system are based on the ending of this abusive system of fear manipulation, or tyranny, as it was formerly known, I've done my best to present the illustrations as fine art portraiture and highest quality works. This is to contrast the modern convention of not scaring children by buying books specifically tailored to be non-frightening. Too often this convention leads to scattered, insane, cartoonish, derrivative creations of poor quality (obviously not all, Dr. Zeuss is one of my favorites!). I have attempted to produce a high quality offering that might educate, provide the opportunity and need for discussion in combination with a strong, comforting fatherly presence and presentation. For this reason I've asked Sports Announcer Andy Taylor to be the voice of JACK. It is an exciting and scary story for Dad to read to the kids.
