American Tall Tales

by Adrien Stoutenburg, Richard M. Powers (Illustrator)

Eight exciting classic American Tall Tales! This collection includes the famed stories of Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill, Stormalong, Mike Fink, Davy Crockett, Johnny Appleseed, John Henry, and Joe Magarac, with evocative illustrations by Richard M. Powers.

Genres: Fiction, Childrens, School, Short Stories, Folklore, Classics, Literature

112 pages, Paperback

First published April 20, 1966

Reviews

[Cindy Rollins · Rating 3 out of 5]

My new student and I listened to this book on audio. The narration was excellent and most of the stories were fun too. A few of them bogged down but this is a great introduction to American stories. I don't often do audio with students but I am happy we did with this book, the voice helped to make the book more compelling. We followed up many of the stories by looking at cartoons of tall tales, mostly 1940's Disney, on YouTube.

The last story, about Joe Magarac, was the least interesting, in my opinion.

[Isabella Leake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our first year-long book of the schoolyear finished! We enjoyed this one, especially in the beginning. The first five stories charmed my absurdity-loving children with their hyperbole and wit.

The last three stories were much less funny—the tales weren't as tall, the epochs not so legendary. I suppose this makes sense, because the stories are arranged chronologically. Railroad builders and steel workers just aren't going to be as fun to read about, or the subject of such rollicking anecdotes, as colonial-era loggers and pioneer-era backwoodsmen.

Still, this was a lively, valuable introduction to (European-)American folklore. And now whenever my children encounter a story they believe to be fictional, they ask, "Is that a tall tale?"

[Caroline Norris]

2025: Just as fun the second time through!

[Sara Hollar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an awesome read aloud for boys. Mine are 5, 6, and 9 and it was great. They were giggling out loud so often, it was the best!

[Gina Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read to Zeke over the school year, he loved it.

[Melissa King · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read with all my kids together since my oldest missed it in AOY3. They enjoyed the stories and I’m glad I’m finally learning about American folklore - maybe this culture isn’t as dry as I thought!

[Kara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this is the only book we've read in homeschool that my children have cheered when we finished and declared that they are so glad we're done with it. Some of the stories are fun, but several are quite tedious. I'm glad to have introduced them to Tall Tales, and equally as glad to be done with them.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

The kids laughed hysterically at the first story in here (Paul Bunyan), but the others were not as good. The quality and interest of the stories seems to me to vary widely. Our two favorites were Bunyan and Johnny Appleseed.

[Darlene Nichols · Rating 4 out of 5]

Should only be read with the tall tale accent, whether the kids want it or not.

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of stories about American Tall Tales. They left out Febold Feboldsen, who is one of my favorites, but did write about Joe Magurac who doesn't get a lot of press.

Not bad.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is the one I read as a kid and I loved it so much!

[Frank Theising · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall a mixed bag. This is a collection of American folk tales. The more popular tales (Paul Bunyan, Johnny Appleseed, etc) were okay, but the rest ranged from mediocre to awful. There is a reason you’ve probably never heard of many of the stories in this collection. My wife ordered this as a read-aloud after seeing it on Ambleside Online, a Charlotte Mason-based homeschool curriculum. We’ve really liked everything else we’ve found on that site but this one really fell flat.

[Angela Boord · Rating 5 out of 5]

The boys loved this book.

[Summer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read through out the year for Year 3 and the boys loved it. I thought most of them were great too, but not excellent! They sure had fun learning about these people and giggled quite a lot.

[Laura Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this one. There are some books I don’t mind reading over and over to the kids and this is one of them. For some reason I always speak with a southern accent when reading this 😄

[Abby Rohde · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished for a second time. I think I enjoyed it more the second time. True Americana.

[Adayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a little skeptical going into this. I thought my 10yo would find it too childish and silly. But I was wrong. Right away, he adored it. I was so surprised. I think this, and a few other books, helped me realize this year that I often see and decide with my adult reasoning. Sometimes I'm blind to what is just so good for the younger years.

It lit up my son's imagination and the way he linked stories to what he would see in nature is so interesting. He loved to talk about the outrageous tales connected to real things. It sparked him, fascinated him, and made him laugh.

I largely credit this book for his growth in reading this school year because it lead him to a different book: Legends of Paul Bunyan, collected by Harold Felton. This massive, vintage 400 page book that he has kept by him on overnight trips, long car rides, and many a bedtime. It's still sitting in his bed right now. Been a close reading companion in the midst of other books for him for 9 months now.

The book was a great starting point for enjoying this sort of creativity found in tall tales. And I'm thankful that we read the book.

[Sadie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I put this on my to-read list long ago as I grew up watching the Disney shorts of Johnny Appleseed and Paul Bunyan and Pacos Bill. I liked the newest version of tall tales that Disney put out a while ago that included John Henry. The stories in this collection of tall tales were fun and creative and there were a few stories that I had never heard before.

[Capt. Hornblower Of His Majesty’s Navy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did not really enjoy any of the tall tales save Paul Bunyan’s. The last one, Joe Magarac, I couldn’t fathom why the writer felt the need to include his last name’s translation as “jackass”. It felt trite and pointless. Most of the others were fairly bland and exaggerated in such ways as not to be funny at all.

[Haley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A small collection of American Tall Tales written for older elementary kids. I think they could have used some more detail and gusto with the retellings but overall a nice read.

I have a strong opinion that the last selection, Joe Magarac, would have been better off dropped in favor of John Henry or Casey Jones.

[Barbara Mittelstadt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick easy read. Most of the tales the students have read in their text, but some they haven't. We spend so much time reading mythology that it seems our own tall tales are falling wayside. Good book to brush up on those tales!

[Kerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't remember these tales exactly the way these were told, but I suppose that is the natural of a 'tall tale'. We listened to an audible for my younger boys, nice to listen to, and important to be hear as they are a part of culture.

[Emmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

These were some interesting stories (and some that I had not heard before, which was fun!), but the tone seemed to be a little more depressing than other collections, and many of the tales had sad endings, which was a real pity. Still, it was a fun read and I would read this again.

[Cori Thonen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This books was hilarious! I loved getting to know all of the old legends personally and can’t wait to read this to my sons to inspire them. I’m only giving it 4 stars because I didn’t agree with the death and lying that happened at the end of Mike Fink.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read aloud during morning time with the kids. We really enjoyed this book, and it brought back fun memories of my childhood with the stories of Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill, and Johnny Appleseed. I thought the Johnny Appleseed was so beautiful that I cried while reading the end of that story.

[Rachel N · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun introduction to tall tales, although some were more humorous than others. My daughter was not a huge fan and was dismayed at the word "jackass" used multiple times, as part of the main character's name, in the final story.

[Abigail Werner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Children will love reading about these once real people, now turned into fiction, and tall, tall, tales. Each story in this book is different, the stories do not relate at all, they stand alone in their own chapter.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really enjoyed reading some tales out of this book. My favorite was definitely Pecos Bill.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

We love these stories, but the illustrations are lame.

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The kids love this one. A classic in the art of tall tale storytelling. Feminists will have a hay day with it.