A fortune teller tells a carpenter that he will have all good things in life, if he gets them. The carpenter comes back, and the cloth-maker's wife mistakes him for the fortune-teller, he tells fortunes and becomes very rich, marries their daughter, and lives a long happy life. The fortune-teller, however, ran into a slew of bad luck. LIfe is funny. A good website for this book is: http://martsubhub.lib.wv.us:8000/kcwe...

In a book where characters and location remain nameless, author Lloyd Alexander, and illustrator Trina Schart Hyman, join to create a memorable tale. In this story, a carpenter visits an unusually witty fortune-teller, who tells him he will be rich if he can "earn large sums of money," and famous, when he "become[s] well known," and have a wife, "if [he] find[s] her and she agrees." Later, the carpenter returns to the fortune teller's room, only to find it abandoned. However, an unknowing woman soon enters and mistakenly believes the carpenter to be the fortune teller. From that moment, the carpenter changes careers. We later learn of the true fortune teller's accidental departure. Newbery Medal-winner Alexander wrote a compelling story that leaves readers thinking. The book provides opportunity for discussion concerning the carpenter's choice, what the reader might do in that situation, and the fate of the original fortune teller. Also, the illustrations help readers recognize how much the carpenter's life changed, from his humble beginnings, to his very successful second career. Conveyed through ink, acrylic, and crayon artwork, a complementary story is told. (Revealed only in the book jacket flap), the story is set in Cameroon, and Hyman's beautiful artwork allows the reader to visit the African country, revealing the local architecture, plants, animals, and people. Readers are able to take in the brightly-patterned fabrics that people wear and sell. Readers' eyes are kept moving by the people in the streets, who carry uniquely-designed baskets on their heads, loads of wood on their backs, and babies in slings. We see children selling food and drinks, servants holding feather fans, and French words on signs. This story provides one occasion in which we don't need a passport to travel the world. ( )

This is a humorous tale about a carpenter who consults a local fortune-teller.

From Publishers Weekly
The hands of fate deftly propel this original folktale. A seedy fortune-teller profits from gullible and sometimes desperate villagers who seek predictions for a rosier future. One unhappy carpenter takes to heart the seer's hardly helpful advice--"Rich you will surely be, on one condition: that you earn large sums of money"--and looks forward to a prosperous life. Most surprising to the craftsman, he ends up in the right place at the right time and the prediction comes true. Alexander's chipper text has a jaunty and infectious "just so" tone. Amazing coincidences fuse the plot elements, but the story's logic remains intact, successfully suspending the reader's disbelief. Hyman's acrylic, ink and crayon illustrations capture the landscape and people of West Africa in vivid detail. Indigenous plants and animals--including comically placed lizards--dot each scene, and the villagers' lushly textured apparel is spectacular. Especially opulent are spreads featuring the fortune-teller's cluttered quarters and the market stalls with their baskets and pottery. Ages 5-8.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal
Grade 1-4-- A young carpenter, tired of hammering and sawing, seeks out a fortune-teller to see what his future holds. The cagey old prophet promises him a rosy future--well, maybe. `` `Rich you will surely be,' '' says the fortune-teller, if `` `you earn large sums of money.' '' Moreover, `` `You shall wed your true love . . . if you find her and she agrees. And you shall be happy as any in the world if you can avoid being miserable.' '' Pleased with these promising, if ambiguous, predictions, the carpenter leaves, only to get halfway home and decide he has more questions to ask. But the fortune-teller has mysteriously vanished, leaving the carpenter in the quirky hand of fate where, in typical Alexander fashion, his life takes a surprising and humorous turn. The story's warm and witty tone is reinforced by Hyman's masterful illustrations. Expressive figures are dynamically placed against a West African landscape, in colors so rich and clear that they invite readers to touch the fabrics and breathe the air. Visual details--carved wooden stools, traditional cloth patterns, signs in French--add an authenticity to the story (which is actually set in Cameroon), while touches of humor in postures and expressions underscore Alexander's gentle wit. These illustrations are obviously a labor of love. Vibrant with life and good humor, this is a supremely satisfying creation. --Linda Boyles, Alachua County Library District, Gainesville, FL
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

FROM PUBLISHER'S INFO:
This original folktale set in Cameroon is full of adventure and sly humor. Lloyd Alexander's story of a young man visiting--and then becoming--the village fortune-teller is brought to vibrant life with some of Caldecott Medalist Trina Schart Hyman's most memorable artwork. "Boston Globe/Horn Book" Award. "New York Times" Best Illustrated Book of the Year. "School Library Journal" Best Book of the Year. Full color.