<DIV><p> <BR>Respected raconteur Joe Hayes is built for tall tales&mdash;he&rsquo;s got the world&rsquo;s longest legs! And Joe&mdash;who travels all over the United States telling stories to kids&mdash;says that <I>The Gum-Chewing Rattler</I> is the perfect tall tale for kids because it combines so many familiar experiences&mdash;chewing lots of bubblegum, getting in trouble in school, driving your mom crazy&mdash;with the wild, impossible claim that a certain rattlesnake chewed gum and blew a bubble with it. Couple that with kids&rsquo; natural fascination with poisonous snakes, and <I>The Gum-Chewing Rattler</I> turns out to be one of Joe&rsquo;s most requested stories. </p> <p> <BR>Joe&rsquo;s been telling this wild story for years, since before 1980, when he took those long legs of his out on the road. But now, that old gum-chewer is here for the first time in a picture book with full-color illustrations by Antonio Castro L. </p> <p> <BR>Here&rsquo;s how Joe&rsquo;s story goes: When Joe was a boy, he chewed lots of bubblegum, his mom got so mad because the gum in his shirt pocket made a terrible mess in the wash! But this wad of bubblegum just happened to save Joe from a rattlesnake&rsquo;s fangs! </p> <p> <BR>Really!! </p> <p> <BR>Don&rsquo;t worry&mdash;his mother didn&rsquo;t believe the story either.</p></DIV>