American Tall Tales by Mary Pope Osborne

In “Old Stormalong,” a popular sea chantey or work song, sung by sailors when History, allowing them to apply the characters and themes from what could haveīeen a silly folk tale to real life events. This enhances readers learning of the tall tale’s place in America’s Osborne includes one page of “Notes on the Story” beforeĮach of the nine folktales that give a historical background and context to the with a heavy heart (page 77).' These character are also described as 'broad-shouldered and sunburned'(page 65) and individuals who grind their teeth 'until he sounded like a hundred-horsepower sawmill.until he sounded like five thousand boulders tumbling down a mountainside (page 7).' Osborne uses these specific details to create multidimensional American folklore heroes. Soft and sweet as the evening breeze.” Pecos Bill says goodbye to his 'four-legged friends. For example, Johnny Appleseed “talked to the animals and sang in a voice as Vulnerable and compassionate side of the tall-tale characters,” as a way ofįiltering out these negative messages while still remaining true to the tales. Native Americans, women, and animals.” Her tales attempt “to bring out the more Version of the tales in the introduction: 'As I combed through old material to select which yarns to retell, Iįound it disheartening to come across stories that derided African Americans, Jacket flap.Osborne states her reasoning for the way she constructed her

American Tall Tales is a must-have addition to every family's home library and is just right for sharing aloud across generations for years to come.

Michael McCurdy's robust colored wood engravings recall an earlier time, perfectly capturing all the vitality of the men and women who carved a new country out of the North American wilderness. In the tradition of the original nineteenth-century storytellers, Mary Pope Osborne combines, edits, and adds her own two cents' worth - and also supplies fascinating historical headnotes. Here are Paul Bunyan, that king-sized lumberjack who could fell 'ten white pines with a single swing' John Henry, with his mighty hammer Mose, old New York's biggest, bravest fireman Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind, who could 'outgrin, outsnort, outrun, outlift, outsneeze, outsleep, outlie any varmint' and other uniquely American characters, together in one superb collection. Meet America's first folk heroes in these nine wildly exaggerated and downright funny stories.

American Tall Tales by Mary Pope Osborne