American Tall Tales

American Tall Tales

Author: Mary Pope Osborne

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Published: 2013-08-28

Total Pages: 134

ISBN-13: 0307982599

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The perfect addition to every family’s home library and just right for sharing aloud, American Tall Tales introduces readers to America’s first folk heroes in nine wildly exaggerated and downright funny stories. 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. In the tradition of the original nineteenth-century storytellers, Mary Pope Osborne compiles, edits, and adds her own two cents’ worth—and also supplies fascinating historical headnotes. 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.


The Tall Tale in American Folklore and Literature

The Tall Tale in American Folklore and Literature

Author: Carolyn Schmidt Brown

Publisher: Univ. of Tennessee Press

Published: 1987

Total Pages: 196

ISBN-13: 9780870496271

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To Carolyn Brown s mind, the tall tale is not necessarily an account of the adventures of a larger-than-life hero, nor is it just a humorous first-person narrative exaggerated to outlandish proportions. It is as well an interaction between teller and audience a game played at the hazy border between the credible and the incredible, a challenge and an entertainment at the same time. The tall tale is also a social statement that identifies and binds a folk group by flaunting the peculiar knowledge and experiences of group members, and it is a tool for coping with a stressful or even chaotic world, for conquering life s problems by laughing at them.


Great American Folklore

Great American Folklore

Author: Kemp P. Battle

Publisher: Doubleday Books

Published: 1986

Total Pages: 690

ISBN-13:

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Great American Folklore gathers together nearly three hundred of the most entertaining legends, tall tales, and ballads from America's distinctive oral heritage.


Tall Tale America

Tall Tale America

Author: Walter Blair

Publisher:

Published: 1944

Total Pages: 286

ISBN-13:

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The stories of American tall tale heroes--Johnny Appleseed, Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill, and others.


Tall Tale America

Tall Tale America

Author: Walter Blair

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 1987-01-15

Total Pages: 292

ISBN-13: 9780226055961

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The stories of American tall tale heroes- Johnny Appleseed, Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill, and others.


Tall

Tall

Author: Donald Lemke

Publisher:

Published: 2012

Total Pages: 139

ISBN-13:

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Four American folktales come alive in this collection of comics.


Paul Bunyan and Other Tall Tales

Paul Bunyan and Other Tall Tales

Author: Jane B. Mason

Publisher: Scholastic Inc.

Published: 2002

Total Pages: 116

ISBN-13: 9780439291545

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This collection of stories includes amazing and funny stories about American legends Paul Bunyan, Sal Fink, Stormalong, Bess Call, John Henry, Annie Oakley, and Johnny Appleseed.


Steel Drivin' Man

Steel Drivin' Man

Author: Scott Reynolds Nelson

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2006-09-28

Total Pages: 226

ISBN-13: 019974114X

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The ballad "John Henry" is the most recorded folk song in American history and John Henry--the mighty railroad man who could blast through rock faster than a steam drill--is a towering figure in our culture. In Steel Drivin' Man, Scott Reynolds Nelson recounts the true story of the man behind the iconic American hero, telling the poignant tale of a young Virginia convict who died working on one of the most dangerous enterprises of the time, the first rail route through the Appalachian Mountains. Using census data, penitentiary reports, and railroad company reports, Nelson reveals how John Henry, victimized by Virginia's notorious Black Codes, was shipped to the infamous Richmond Penitentiary to become prisoner number 497, and was forced to labor on the mile-long Lewis Tunnel for the C&O railroad. Equally important, Nelson masterfully captures the life of the ballad of John Henry, tracing the song's evolution from the first printed score by blues legend W. C. Handy, to Carl Sandburg's use of the ballad to become the first "folk singer," to the upbeat version by Tennessee Ernie Ford. Attractively illustrated with numerous images, Steel Drivin' Man offers a marvelous portrait of a beloved folk song--and a true American legend.