Roscoe And His Merry Friends

When my father told a story, I have seen grown men laugh so hard they could barely breathe. It didn't matter whether or not the story was true. What captured his listeners was Dad's gift for painting pictures with words one brushstroke at a time, each detail better than the last. He especially loved an audience of children. When my sister Sallie and I were very young, Dad began telling us about Roscoe Sleddingskate, the main character in this collection of stories. Over the course of many many years, he entertained us with new adventures starring this magical little man and his cast of fantastic characters. We met a pterodactyl that delivered groceries and a bear that spit, a near-sighted owl and a reindeer with antlers the size of mighty oaks. We couldn't wait to hear what Roscoe was up to next, and my father never disappointed. In the years since, we have passed Roscoe's beloved escapades throughout our family to the delight of generations. Now, I share them in this book hoping others will love them as much as we have. Who knows? On a cold, wintry morning you might look out of your kitchen window and catch a glimpse of this wee man in strange clothing lingering in the shadows. That's how we first met Roscoe Sleddingskate so many years ago.