![]() Jerry Pinkney's fantastic, award-winning paintings are a wonderful accompaniment for this story of a man who lived a "well-lived life."ĭoña Flor: A Tall Tale About a Giant Woman with a Great Big Heartby Pat Mora. Lester's text is lyrical and perfect for reading out loud. At the end of the story Henry has spent so much energy hammering, he collapses and dies (not the ending I was expecting) but it didn't seem to phase my kids. John Henry is an African-American folk hero who is best known for hammering through a mountain. John Henry by Julius Lester is a text heavy picture book but worth the read. If you like scary stories, pick up Goldone's The Teeny-Tiny Womanwhile you are at it it's another book that scared the bejeezus out of me when I was a kid. He is searching for the woodsman who cut of his tail and ate it for dinner. The Tailypo is a cat like creature from Appalachian folk lore. Just expect to sleep with the lights on for the next 25 years or so. However, if you and your kids like scary stories, go for it. I can't even contemplate reading it to my 7 year old because I am worried about his response. Read at your own risk! I remember being freaked out by this book when I was a kid. The legendary Pecos Bill was a daring cowboy so don't be surprised if your kids start to practice their lasso skills after a reading ( or two, or three) of this book. What I liked best about this book was the expansive illustrations that make you feel both part of the action, as well as a keen observer. Kellogg brings the landscape and language of Pecos Bill's Texas to life. Steven Kellogg wrote a number of picture books about American folk heroes so I won't list them all here, but they are worth searching out at your local library. When telegraph technology comes to town, Jackrabbit McCabe insists he can deliver messages faster than any "newfangled contraption." Expect to have a fun conversation with your kids about what a telegraph is! Jackrabbit McCabe and the Electric Telegraph is a brand new tall tale about a boy whose legs kept growing and growing until he was faster than even the race horses. (Note: titles and covers are affiliate links.) I hope you enjoy them as much as my boys and I did. In fact, I was surprised to find such a wide range of picture books. I was quite happy that I was able to include a diverse range of American folktales on this list: Creole, African-American, American Southwest, pioneer tales and more. The stories and tall tales for kids books I chose for this list are colonial or post-colonial American folktales. Some examples of legends in well-known popular tall tales are Paul Bunyon, Davy Crockett, John Henry and Mike Fink.īefore we go any further, if you are looking for Native American Folktales I have that book list here. ![]() What are tall tales, exactly? Tall tales are over the top stories with the characteristic language of outrageous claims, usually of physical strength or skill. American folklore is rich with tall tales. American folktales are an important way for us to connect with our shared history and pass down cultural values from generation to generation. Folklore and fables get passed down for a reason. My sons, my youngest especially, adore folktales.
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