The Giant Cabbage: An Alaska Folktale

by Cherie Stihler, Jeremiah Trammell (Illustrator)

Moose discovers a very big cabbage in his garden that could win first prize at the Alaska State Fair. But there's a problem--it's so huge he can't lift it! An old Russian folktale inspired The Giant Cabbage, but this contemporary version showcases Alaska with vivid illustrations, adorable animal friends, and verbal twists and turns.

Genres: Childrens, Folk Tales, Picture Books

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an entertaining story that is based on the classic Aleksey Nikolayevich Tolstoy story, Gigantic Turnip. I thought the cabbage theme was interesting and the story goes beyond the basics of the turnip tale to include a cabbage contest and a delicious meal afterward.

The narrative is entertaining and the illustrations are humorous. I loved the different animals and I enjoyed reading the author's note and the recipe at the end.

[Karmen Smallcombe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Alaskan folktale is based on a traditional Russian folktale about a giant turnip that was too big for the farmer to move so he had his friends come and help him, they eventually moved the turnip just like Moose did in this story. Using animals this story shares the message that family and friends who use teamwork and help each other out can get any job done. The last character that comes in to help Moose move the cabbage is little Vole, he is the last character to come give the cabbage a push and it works! This book also shows that no matter the size or how much help you can really provide every ounce of help will make things happen. I loved the moral of the story and I really enjoyed the illustrations in this book, the textures look as if they are painted with water color. This traditional folktale is similar to a fable and teaches children a great lesson, teamwork.

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a retelling of a Russian folktale. Since Cherie made it up, it's technically not actually an Alaska Folktale. Still a cute story, though!

[Peggy Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grandma and Grandpa brought this one back from a trip to Alaska. I love it. The illustrations are fantastic and so much to the story. My kids think it's ok. Basically I think it was just a little too long and works better for maybe the 5-7 year old crowd.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the art -- the animals were fantastic -- but the book seemed just a squeak overlong. I haven't read this one aloud, so I can't confirm that kids would feel that way.

[Savannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

The giant cabbage is a great book about friends that need to work together. Moose tries to work alone but cannot move the biggest cabbage he has ever seen to the fair to see if he can win a prize. One by one, his friends try and help him.

This Alaskan folktale does a great job getting the reader interested and excited about what will happen to the cabbage. I would use this book as a read aloud in any classroom because the lesson in the story is powerful. This would also be a great introduction to different kinds of text, including folktales. This story will aid learning about different stories passed down through generations. Independently, this book would be especially good for beginner readers because there is a lot of repetition. This can build confidence as well as help them develop good reading skills.

This book was an outstanding book to me because of its uniqueness. You often do not hear about Alaskan folktales and this book is a great way to expose students to different kinds of literature.