Pecos Bill, Colossal Cowboy

Graphic Spin

by Sean Tulien, Lisa K. Weber (Illustrator)

Tossed from a wagon and raised by coyotes, Pecos Bill had a strange childhood to say the least. As he grows up, this Texas-sized cowboy wrestles with wolves, grapples with a wild mare, and rides a mountain lion without even breaking a sweat! Pecos Bill is able to tame the Wild West with ease, but soon he faces an even bigger challenge, a rampaging cyclone the likes of which no one has ever seen! Pecos Bill must try to rein this wild storm in, or it will lay waste to the great American frontier.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Picture Books

40 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Editor by day, writer by night, professional relaxer the rest of the time.

Reviews

[Carterl · Rating 4 out of 5]

cool

[Michelle Rosales · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will has a problem. He is a cowboy who has a hard time showing the cattle who is boss. One day Pecos Bill visits him and shows Will what a cowboy truly does. Pecos Bill isn’t your ordinary man. As a baby he would play with coyotes, crawl in the Pecos river, which is what he is named after. He even lived with coyotes until he was old enough to hunt on his own. Just as he set out on his own, he ran into Will, his long lost brother. Pecos Bill showed will about lassoing, branding and even helped tame the ever awful horse, Widow Maker. Pecos Bill shows enough bravery to become the sheriff of No Man’s Land, and meets Sue. Together they ride the Pecos River on Sues giant catfish. Through a bit of natural disasters it is clear that Pecos Bill and Sue are made for each other. The Lone Star, made by Pecos Bill, is the reason cowboys can find their way home.

[Alison Ramirez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book because it was a school assignment. It had to be a graphic novel. Pecos Bill appealed to me so I picked to read it. Although I'm not really a big fan of graphic novels but school always gtes you out of your comfort zone.
I actually really enjoyed this book. It's different its not the same old story. Sean deos a good job of giving a different view of the story. I think he actually made it more creative and fun. He gave it that extra ingrediet, I enjoyed it.
I recommend this to children or pre-teens. It would also be a good book for those who want to read something different than usual. People who like imagination incorpaerated into books would enjoy this too.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a celebrated tall tale turned into a graphic novel. It is the tale of Pecos Bill and Sue in the Wild West. Pecos Bill is a tough cowboy who is afraid of anything, not even a tornado. The legends of how the Rio Grande River and the Grand Canyon were formed are illustrated in this novel. It has remarkable illustrations that follow the text

[Bekah · Rating 3 out of 5]

While scanning Overdrive, I saw that my library had a few graphic novels based around characters from American Tall Tales. So, in a fit of nostalgia, I borrowed a couple. This is the first that I read. It was short, funny, great art. Since it is aimed at young kids, I liked the addition of questions and prompts at the end. Would make for a fun lesson at school.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best of Stone Arch's Tall Tales series. For once, both the artwork and the writing were very good. The artist added some delightful touches, especially involving pre-Pecos Bill cowboy-ing. The writing was good as well.

[Charlotte Osborn-bensaada · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tulien's retelling of Pecos Bill is fun and visually engaging. Not sure how I feel about his characterization of Sue, she seems rather flat in contrast. Book includes additional facts, reading guide and glossary.

[Cole H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was awesomesauce!!!!!!!!

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok, felt very rushed tho.

[Peyton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good graphic novel that shows the adventure.

[Philip Carlson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pecos Bill: Colossal Cowboy is the legendary tale of Pecos Bill and his wild adventures in the west. At the beginning of this graphic novel, readers are introduced to the characters in the book such as Mama Coyote, Widow Maker the horse, Sue (Bill's sweetheart), and Will (Bill's brother). Armed with this information, readers are taken on the ride of their literary lives as they follow Pecos Bill from infant to legend. Readers learn about how Bill wrestled wild coyotes for fun as a baby, got his name after swimming the Pecos River as a toddler, and invented the cattle brand and lasso as a young man. He tamed the infamous Widow Maker, a horse that could not be ridden by any man, wiped his mouth with a pear cactus, and rode catfish with Sue. Of all of his accomplishments, the greatest occurred when Bill roped a wild tornado and steered it away from town before it could do any damage. In doing so, Bill dug his heels so deep into the ground that he created the Grand Canyon and squeezed so many tears out of the twister that it created the Rio Grande River!
This graphic novel captures the readers' full attention through clever illustrations and vivid colors. The sequence of illustrations allows the reader to follow along on every adventure Pecos Bill goes on as he grows up. Although this is a tall tale, the reader gets a sense of just how this magnificent cowboy contributed to the landforms of the western frontier. The combination of text and illustrations leaves each reader envious of the life this legendary figure once lived, and his significance to the myths of western history.
This book would be an excellent resource to introduce students to the genre of graphic novels, and provide them with a clear understanding of the features that are associated with it. The book could also be used to educate elementary age students about myths or legends as they examine weather or not the things Pecos Bill was said to accomplish could ever really happen. Because of the illustrations and content of the book, I believe children of all ages will enjoy the wild ride Pecos Bill takes them on as they explore major events and landforms associated with western geography.

[Tammy Knowles · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book Pecos Bill by Sean Tulien, is about a family that was traveling across the desert with a special little baby name Pecos Bill. While they were traveling Pecos was tossed from the wagon and left to be raised by coyotes. When Pecos went out on his own he ran across his long lost brother name Will. He was able to show all of the other cowboys everything that he had learned. Children can learn how to adapt in different situations.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good introduction to tall tales for my 1st grader who hasn't learned about them in school yet. Fun story, great pictures--enough to also keep my 3rd grader, who has learned about tall tales, entertained.

[Jessica]

I noticed this one sitting on the library shelf and thought I would give it a try. It was a fun retelling of the tall tale.

[Keziah · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Traditional Literature/Graphic Novel) I have not read many graphic novels, but I really enjoyed this one! It told a traditional story in a very exciting and accessible way...it really came alive!

[Heydi Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always wondered about the Pecos Bill legend and am glad I ran across this book. Like Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill's legend explains many of Americas geological treasures,

[Robin Raines-Bond · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this version of Pecos Bill and Sue. The illustrations are great. I also appreciated the discussion questions, Writing prompts, and glossary at the end of the book.

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

it should have been the twister canyon

[Jamie.C]

so funny it made me smile.

[Gunnar E]

Not so great but the cover was grabbing me.