Tall Tale of Paul Bunyan: Graphic Novel

Description

The legendary woodsman Paul Bunyan was the biggest man who ever lived. He had wagon wheels for shirt buttons, and his axe took an entire town a whole month to build! One day, Paul finds a big blue ox frozen in the snow. He nurses the behemoth back to health, and names his new companion Babe. The two travel the land, and clear the way for settlers who will soon follow.

Since 1986, Martin Powell has been a freelance writer. He has written hundreds of stories, many of which have been published by Disney, Marvel, Tekno comix, Moonstone Books, and others. In 1989, Powell received an Eisner Award nomination for his graphic novel Scarlet in Gaslight. This award is one of the highest comic book honors.

Classic American tales are retold with energetic, cartoon depictions meant to emphasize the outrageous entertainment elements. Both books are summary compilations of many stories, stripped to their essence, and they feel a little short because of it, with Pecos Bill feeling the most choppy and episodic. By replacing the traditional purple, shaggy-dog prose with over-the-top illustrations, each volume does successfully recapture the bombastic scope of the original stories, but the content remains slim. And while both books end with a glossary, discussion questions, and other educational filler, children might have simply wanted more or fuller tales. Of particular note is that in addition to the frenetic artwork in Paul Bunyan, the book is complemented by excellent design work that mixes advertising tropes with frontier photographic elements to help reinforce the legendary quality of the myth.?-- "School Library Journal" The tall tale of Paul Bunyan is hilariously retold in graphic novel format, giving new life to the story of the biggest woodsmen who ever lived. In this retelling, Paul wears wagon wheels for shirt buttons, hires seven assistant woodsmen, all named Elmer, and pulls his companion, Babe, the blue ox, out of a frozen pond. He nurses Babe back to health and the two enormous pals make their way across the United States. Paul and Babe walk through Minnesota, and the footprints they leave become the state's famous ten thousand lakes. In the Tennessee hills, Paul stops to smoke his pipe, and the hills become known as the Smoky Mountains. In the far south, Paul and Babe help the residents rid themselves of "bee-skeeters," which create the giant southern bayous. Finally, the two visit the desert, start roughhousing, and make the Grand Canyon. On their way back home, Paul wrestles with Old Man Winter, who has Minnesota completely buried in snow. Paul holds up Old Man Winter closer to the sun, where Old Man Winter melts and becomes Lake Superior. This loony depiction of the quintessential American tall tale is fun, funny, and likely to get the most reluctant reader more interested in both American history and geography. Also included in the book are a glossary, writing prompts, and discussion questions. It is recommended for ages 8 and up.-- "Childrens Literature Database"