Joanna+Ullrich

Tall Tales and Fables Bibliography:

Gleeson, Brian. 1990. //Paul Bunyan//. Rabbit Ears. 33 pages. Civic Center Library. This book is the tale of Paul Bunyan told from the viewpoint of somebody who knew and worked with him. This book is written as if told by a person who is actually talking. It often leaves off the last letter of words, as real people do when they are talking. The grammar is not perfect, and some slang is used; the narrator at the beginning tells us that he was there with Paul, “by Jimminey!” The pictures are cartoonish and full of color. This would make a wonderful audio book or would be a fun book for older students who could read it themselves. History could be tied in with this book, as the story is about a lumberjack in the early days of the United States. Nutrition and cooking could be tied in, as it talks often of eating and making pancakes. The environment could be tied in, and students could learn about the effect of cutting down so many trees.
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Harrison, David L. 2008. //Paul Bunyan: My Story//. Random House Books for Young Readers. 48 pages. Civic Center Library. This book is a story about Paul Bunyan, a massive lumberjack, told in first person. The book is fun to read. It begins by saying, “Ah, that is much better! Thank you for opening my book. A man my size needs some room!” It tells his story starting from birth and continuing through some of the favorite pieces of his life. The book ends by telling the audience that he isn’t real, but that he was made up by real lumberjacks. The pictures are vivid and would capture the attention of young readers. This book could also be connected to history. The story was created by real lumberjacks, so it could be used to introduce students to the period of history when they lived. It can be connected to environmental studies, as well, as it could be used to introduce a study of the effect of clearing so much forest at once.

Krensky, Stephen. 2006. //John Henry//. Millbrook Press. 48 pages. Civic Center Library. This is the story of John Henry told in third person. The book begins with a small paragraph about who John Henry was, then goes on to explain what tall tales are, who created them, and why they may have been created. The story is broken into four pieces that together help to tell the story of John Henry, a railroad man, beginning with his childhood. The pictures are not very brightly colored, but are simple. Curriculum areas that could be covered using this book include history, as it is a tale about a man that most believe did exist, although the stories about him have been exaggerated. It also could be branched off to cover the period shortly after the civil war. It could be used to talk about transportation, as John Henry helped to build the railroads. Technology could be tied in, as his was a story of man vs. machine.

Pirotta, Saviour. 2007. //Aesop’s Fables//. Kingfisher. 79 pages. Civic Center Library. This is an anthology that covers many of Aesop’s fables, including The Lion and the Mouse, The Goose Who Laid the Golden Eggs, and The Tortoise and the Hare. Each fable concludes with a moral. The book is told as if it is Aesop himself telling the stories, and the collection begins with an explanation of who Aesop was and why he began telling stories. This book could be connected to a study of slavery. In the beginning of the book, the narrator, Aesop, explains that he was a slave, and that the only thing he owned was his voice. It could also be connected to a study of types of literature, as fables are a unique type of literature.

Yolen, Jane. 2000. //A Sip of Aesop//. Scholastic Paperbacks. 27 pages. Civic Center Library. This is an anthology that covers several of Aesop’s fables, including The Hare and the Tortoise and The Dog and the Bone. Each of the fables finishes with a moral. All of the fables, including the moral at the end, rhyme. This format may make it a bit difficult for young students to understand what is going on, but if a discussion occurred after the fables about the tale, they would be accessible. The illustrations are extremely brightly colored and are clearly intended to be the focal point. The end has some factual information about Aesop. This book could be connected to other subjects. It could be connected to a study of different types of literature, with one of them being fables. Why the author chose to have these fables rhyme could be one component of that study. It could also be connected to a study of ancient Greece, as the book mentions that Aesop was Greek at the beginning of the collection.

Balcziak, Bill. 2003. //Johnny Appleseed//. Compass Point Books. 32 pages. Civic Center Library. This is a book about Johnny Appleseed. It is broken into sections with mini-stories; one example is a short story about Johnny saving a wolf. Because of the way it is broken up, a teacher could read this to students all at once or by reading a section at a time. The illustrations are detailed and the language is relatively simple At the end of the book is information on the westward journey that Johnny Appleseed took, including a map. It also has a recipe for apple muffins, a glossary of words that students may not know, a “did you know” section with facts about his life, and a “want to know more” section that has suggestions of where to go next for more information. This makes it a great teacher resource book. This book could be easily connected to geography, as it talks about Johnny’s westward journey and even includes a map of his travels. It could be used for vocabulary enhancement, as the glossary section can help students learn the meaning of words that may be unfamiliar to them. It can also be connected to history, because Johnny Appleseed was a real man, actually named John Chapman, and the “did you know” section at the end has information about his life and family.
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Balcziak, Bill. 2003. //Paul Bunyan//. Capstone Press. 32 pages. Civic Center Library. This book is a story about Paul Bunyan that is broken up into mini-stories about the legendary lumberjack. This would make reading the story as a whole or one section at a time possible. The pictures are colorful and the language is relatively straightforward. This book has a glossary, a “did you know” section, a “want to know more” section, and a pancake recipe. The “want to know more” section makes it the most useful as a teacher resource book, because it suggests other resources to look into. This book could be connected to history, as you could use it to introduce students to the time period that the story was created during. The book could be connected to a study of the environment, and the impact of logging so many trees could be studied. The book could also be connected to nutrition, as a pancake recipe is included.

Krensky, Stephen. 2006. //Pecos Bill//. Millbrook Press. 47 pages. Civic Center Library. This book begins by explaining to the audience what tall tales are, who created them and an idea of why they may have made up the tale. The story of Pecos Bill, a cowboy, is told in third person using simple language. It is broken into three sections about different points in his life. The pictures are not as bright as some books are, but still add to the story. The end has a section suggesting additional resources related to Pecos Bill, making it a helpful teacher resource book. There are a couple of additional curriculum areas that can be tied to this book. The first is geography. The book mentions that Pecos Bill was from Texas and talks about the old southwest. This could therefore provide an opportunity for student to learn more about the southwest and Texas, specifically. The second is history. This story was created by people who lived a while ago, so it would be meaningful to look at how the people who may have created the story lived.

Lindbergh, Reeve. 1993. //Johnny Appleseed//. Little Brown Books for Young Readers. 29 pages. Civic Center Library. This is a poem about John Chapman, also known as Johnny Appleseed. The book begins by telling the audience that the book is about a man named John Chapman, who was real, and then explaining that he came to be known as Johnny Appleseed. The poem rhymes and uses vivid imagery. The paintings that are used as illustrations are detailed. At the end is a very detailed section describing facts about the life of John Chapman, including a lot of information I did not already know, which is why I chose it as a teacher resource book. This book can be connected to a study of poems. Because the tale is told as a poem, students can see that not all poems are short and that they can be used to tell stories. It can also be connected to a study of history, as the end of the book tells a lot about who John Chapman was and what he did. It can also be connected to plants, as it can be used to teach children about how apples are grown.

Yolen, Jane. 2011. //Johnny Appleseed: The Legend and the Truth//. Harper Collins. 32 pages. Glendale Public Library: Main Library. This book tells the story of Johnny Appleseed in a unique way. It begins each section with a short poem, and the fifth line is always “Johnny, Johnny Appleseed.” It then has a section titled “history” that tells a piece of the story of Johnny Appleseed. At the end of that section there is a very short note labeled “fact,” where the author provides a fact about the life of Johnny Chapman that is related to the section above it. This is why I chose it as a teacher resource book. I learned several new things about the life of John Chapman as I read it. The pictures are painted using mostly neutral colors. This book could be tied to a study of the difference between fact and fiction, as there are factoids throughout the book. It could also be used to talk about geography, as it talks a bit about how Johnny traveled the United States planting trees.

Aliki. 1971. //The Story of Johnny Appleseed.// Aladdin. 31 pages. Private collection. This book is the story of John Chapman, composed using simple language. The pictures in the book alternate between having color and being in black and white. It talks often of John going west and helping others. It covers his adult life, but not any of his childhood, as some books do. This book could be connected to math, as you could talk about the pattern used between coloring the pictures and not coloring the pictures. It could also be connected to geography, as it talks about his westward journey.
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Harrison, David L. 2001. //Johnny Appleseed: My Story//. Random House Books for Young Readers. 48 pages. Glendale Public Library: Main Library. This book begins with a family with two young children welcoming Johnny Appleseed into their home. The children ask Johnny to tell them a story, and he obliges. He tells stories of his childhood and of his adult life. Some of the vocabulary is at a relatively high level, so some of it may need to be explained to the students. It would be especially beneficial to students who may be at a higher level, however, and are ready for the additional vocabulary expansion it would provide. The pictures are bright and colorful. This could be connected to vocabulary development. It could also be connected to geography, as it mentioned some of the places he traveled to. It could also be connected to seasons, as it talks a bit of the harsh winters in the east, which some of the students from our placements may not fully understand, as we have very mild winters.

Keats, Ezra Jack. 1987. //John Henry: An American Legend//. Dragonfly Books. 32 pages. Glendale Public Library: Main Library. This is the story of John Henry, beginning with his birth and continuing through his adulthood and finally death. The language used to tell the story is exciting and would capture children’s attention. It creates wonderful visual imagery. The pictures are unique and engaging. The colors used add to the story, as they become brighter or darker depending on the situation and the mood at any particular point. This could be used to talk about technology, as it is a story in part of man vs. machine. It could also be connected to emotional learning, such as learning how to persevere through challenges. It could also be used to talk about the history of building the railroads in our country.

Kellogg, Steven. 1988. //Johnny Appleseed: A Tall Tale Retold and Illustrated by Steven Kellogg//. Harper Collins. 37 pages. Private collection. This book is written about John Chapman. It has some factual information about the real man’s life at the beginning of the book. It is composed of detailed pictures and colorful language. There is an authors note at the end that tells about how what the real John Chapman did became more and more exaggerated until it eventually became the tall tale we know today. The author notes that he tried to weave incidents and images from real frontier life that John Chapman might have experienced with the larger than life stories that we typically hear in regards to Johnny Appleseed. This book could be connected to learning about pioneers, as it mentions them often. It could be connected to the Revolutionary War, as well, as it mentions that Johnny’s father fought in that war.

Kellogg, Steven. 2004. //Paul Bunyan: A Tall Tale Retold and Illustrated by Steven Kellogg//. Harper Collins. 48 pages. Glendale Public Library: Main Library. This is the story of Paul Bunyan told using colorful, energetic language that makes it fun to read. It begins with Paul’s birth and continues through adulthood. It tells how he created many of the famous natural landmarks in our country, including the Grand Canyon. The illustrations are detailed. This book can be tied to geography, as it talks about how Paul was born in Maine, and goes on to talk about several other places in the country. On a related note, it can be used to talk about natural landmarks. It can be used to talk about different types of animals as well, as it mentions how he interacted with them.

Kellogg, Steven. 1992. //Pecos Bill: A Tall Tale Retold and Illustrated by Steven Kellogg//. Harper Collins. 48 pages. Glendale Public Library: Main Library. This book is the story of Pecos Bill, beginning with why his family left New England and began to head west. It continues into how he was adopted by coyotes, and up through his adult life. The language used is colorful and would be funny to young readers or listeners, as some of the pieces of the book and illustrations are quite silly. The illustrations are detailed. This book could be connected to geography, as it talks about leaving New England and heading west. It could be tied to pioneers, as it talks about how Pecos Bill’s family were pioneers and briefly about their reason for leaving. It could also be connected to learning about animals, as it talks about several varieties in the book.

Kurtz, Jane. 2004. //Johnny Appleseed//. Simon Spotlight. 32 pages. Private collection. This book uses extremely simple language to tell Johnny Appleseeds story. It is designed so that children can read it on their own. There are often repeating words, which makes it easier for young students to read independently. The illustrations are also simple. It refers to Johnny Chapman only once; everywhere else in the book he is referred to as Johnny Appleseed. This book could be connected to literacy, as the goal of the book is clearly to have students read it independently. Sight words that many students learn in kindergarten or first grade could be tied in. Science could be tied in if you choose to talk about the life cycle of plants after reading this book, as it talks a little bit about planting apple trees and having them grow.

Lester, Julius. 1999. //John Henry//. Puffin. 40. Glendale Public Library: Main Library. This is the story of John Henry, told in a way that is intended for the older early childhood group and up. I feel that it would bring value to those students, however, which is one reason I chose it. The language used is not grammatically perfect, as it matches the speech of African Americans of the time. The book begins with his birth and continues up through his death. It focuses on John Henry’s physical strength and strength of character. The illustrations are detailed. This book could be connected to a study of history, as it talks of building railroads and of the battle between man and the new machines that were coming out. It could also be used to talk about technology, and how it has impacted our society, as it is, in part, a man vs. machine tale. It could also be used to a study of the body, as it mentions that his heart gave out at the end.

Shepherd, Jodie. 2010. //Johnny Appleseed//. Cartwheel Books. 29 pages. Private collection. This book uses simple language to tell the story of Johnny Appleseed, beginning with his birth. The pictures are simple and colorful. There is one stanza of a poem that repeats throughout the book, which would allow a teacher to read the story aloud and have students chime in when it gets to that part. This book could be connected to a study of different types of literature, as it uses one small poem repeatedly throughout the book, amidst the rest of the story. It could also be connected to learning about how plants grow, as it talked about apples and seeds.

Wood, Audrey. 2006. //The Bunyans//. Scholastic Paperbacks. 32 pages. Glendale Public Library: Main Library. This book is an extension of the tale of Paul Bunyan. It includes his family: his wife and children, Little Jean and Teeny. It tells the story of how the family created many of the natural wonders in the United States. The stories told in the book will likely be relatable to early childhood students, despite their fictionalized nature. The pictures are detailed and help add to the story by reminding readers just how much bigger the family is than normal sized creatures. Although it is not the traditional tall tale, it is fun to read and can be used after having read several other more traditional versions in a classroom. I would use this in a classroom after having read several other more traditional versions of the Paul Bunyan story. I would then read this one, and have students compare the similarities and the differences. This story could also be connected to geography, as it mentions natural wonders all across the United States. It could be connected to a study of some of those natural wonders, as well.