Sparks Fly High: The Legend of Dancing Point

by Mary Quattlebaum and TurtleMe

Colonel Lightfoot is never modest, especially when it comes to his dancing or his fine Virginia land. One piece of that land is turning to mud, and the devil himself is rumored to live in that murky mess, for on dark nights sparks fly high. How to put an end to the devil's mischief? Why, a dance contest with the fiery fiend himself. The colonel bristles with confidence, but the devil is equally sure of himself, until, recognizing his own false pride...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0374344523
• ISBN13: 9780374344528
• Release Date: October 2006
• Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux
• Length: 40 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 8.8" x 11.3"
• Age Range: 6 to 9 years
• Grade Range: Grades 1 to 4

Customer Reviews

What can I say?

What can I say? My ancestor bested the devil. Not bad for a day's work! This is an old Virginia folktale I discovered about 15 years ago, during a geneological trip to Williamsburg, VA. It was great to finally see a book come out about it. As a side note, the Sandy Point area in Clark County, Virginia, where this tale takes place, is on what was once Philip Lightfoot's land (called Tedington). Nothing would grow in this area and many folks thought that it was haunted. There were two large trees there for many years, which bore the nicknames of "Lightfoot" and "The Devil". In the 1900's, during a flood, "The Devil Tree" was washed away, but the "Lightfoot" tree remained standing. So, Lightfoot actually beat the Devil twice! --JBL

Fun story based on a Virginia legend.

Mary Quattlebaum retells SPARKS FLY HIGH: THE LEGEND OF DANCING POINT, telling of one Colonel Lightfoot whose fancy dancing leads him to boast about his talents and his land. So much so that the Devil himself comes out to compete in this fun story based on a Virginia legend.

Plus the author's name is fun

Dear Leonid Gore, I have missed you. When it comes to picture book illustrators you've a style that one cannot compare to anyone else's. I first fell in love with your work when I had the good fortune to pick up a copy of Janice del Negro's, "Lucy Dove". Your art on that folktale was without compare. Simultaneously creepy and lovely all at once. For some time now I've waited patiently for you to illustrate something, heck ANYTHING, that had the same emotional oomph. Finally, some eight years later, you have. And for that, m'dear, I thank you. Sincerely, A Devoted Fan That is the letter I would write to Leonid Gore if I had the guts to seek out his publisher's address. And yes, I mean every word. When "Sparks Fly High" plopped down on the center of my desk, I was elated. Here, at last, was a picture book that could seriously be called "beautiful". It's been a while since Leonid Gore did a good old-fashioned folktale, but finally one has arrived that is worthy of his attention. Thank author Mary Quattlebaum then for having the wherewithal to attentively research and bring to life this fabulous original American tale. A great find for those lucky enough to locate it. Now there once was a man by the name of Colonel Lightfooot. He was a bright and bonny fellow and one heckuva fabulous dancer. "No sooner could he stand than he was prancing, no sooner prancing than kicking his baby booties high". And talk about conceited. This fellow was a braggart through and through, but definitely a nice guy deep down. Just conceited. Now the one thing Lightfoot loved more than his dancing was his land. It was almost entirely perfect, except for a rough patch that got bigger and boggier every year. The rumor was that the devil stomped it down, but Colonel Lightfoot paid the rumor little mind until he stepped out one fine evening. Sparks are emanating from the bog and ruin Lightfoot's fine clothes causing him to confront the villain in his pasture. Man and demon meet and the devil (who obviously doesn't listen to his Charlie Daniels) challenges the landowner to a duel. A dancing duel! Lightfoot accepts, but soon finds that though he tires, the devil never does. So it takes some quick thinking and wits to outsmart the bad guy and win the day in the end. Well-written stuff. In her Author's Note at the end, Quattlebaum (who wins my personal award for Best Storyteller Name Ever) recounts how she heard of this tale in the first place. Dancing Point is a real patch of ground not far from Colonial Williamsburg and was indeed owned by Colonel Philip Lightsfoot back in the day. Generations of Virginians have told his tale, and Quattlebaum even goes so far as to include numerous published accounts from which she drew resource material for this story. Quattlebaum also does a perfectly lovely job of putting the book's tale into a fun-to-read text. In it you may find sentences like, "Oh, the waggy, braggy tongue of the man", or, "He could still romp through the most rollicki