Synopsis
A portrayal of a larger-than-life folk hero and his family introduces young readers to Paul Bunyan, his giant wife Carrie, and their king-sized children, Little Jean and Teeny, as they carve out famous sites in early America.
Reviews
Kindergarten-Grade 4-A rollicking original extension of Paul Bunyan's tale. Paul meets a gigantic woman, and he and Carrie are soon married. Two oversize children arrive and play a important role in the formation of many of America's natural wonders: Niagara Falls, Bryce Canyon, and Big Sur, among others. The Rocky Mountains are attributed to Ma Bunyan's efforts to keep the children from wandering off too far, and Old Faithful to her desire for a regular supply of hot water when they camp in Wyoming. Grown up, Little Jean gets restless and leaps up into space. Wood captures the tongue-in-cheek tone and the exaggeration bordering on the ridiculous that characterize American tall tales yet all the while making the Bunyans seem like an all-American family. The story begins in the Victorian era and ends in modern times, which reinforces its absurdity since these natural wonders are not products of recent history. Shannon's realistic, full-color paintings provide a counterpoint to the text, serving to make it seem almost believable. The artist's figures are large and solid and he judiciously puts normal sized people and animals in them to remind readers just how big the Bunyans are. Extensions of folktales are popular now, and this book is a fine contribution to the genre.
Jane Gardner Connor, South Carolina State Library, Columbia
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
One of the rootin'-est, tootin'-est, riproarin'-est heroes of American tall tales is given a whole new lease on life as Wood imagines an entire family of Bunyans. When Paul, the legendary lumberjack, meets Carrie McIntie, a giantess "banging a behemoth pickax against a wall," it's love at first sight. They produce two children, a "jumbo boy" named Little Jean and a "gigantic girl" named Teeny. Wood (The Napping House) exuberantly blends outrageous exaggeration with fantastical geography lessons: Pa Bunyan scoops out Niagara Falls to enable Teeny to shower an infestation of pesky bears from her maple syrup-ridden hair; Ma Bunyan creates Old Faithful by poking holes in Wyoming with her pickax to release hot water for the laundry and dishes; and so on. Shannon (The Amazing Christmas Extravaganza) joins Wood in this rollicking ride with archly humorous illustrations. Who can resist a retired Ma and Pa Bunyan, for example, dressed in leisure wear and playing croquet in the desert? Author and artist clearly had fun here, and readers undoubtedly will, too. Ages 4-9.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Ages 5^-8. Everyone knows Paul Bunyan; now meet the whole Bunyan family. Paul marries Carrie in Mammoth Cave, a crystal chamber Carrie has carved. Then they have two children, their jumbo son, Little Jean, and their gigantic daughter, Teeny. There's no real narrative here, and that's a problem. Rather than tales, the text is a series of tall incidents, some of which work better than others. In one, Teeny gets syrup on her head, which attracts bears. To wash them out, Paul scoops a huge hole in the Niagara River, making the Niagara Falls. In a more confusing spread, Little Jean carves out a canyon; Paul gets tongue-tied and says, "That's a mighty brice nanyon, coy" instead of "That's a mighty nice canyon, boy" . The mix-up sticks, and that's how Bryce Canyon got its name. Better than the text is the BIG artwork. These characters, looking a little like Kewpie dolls on steroids, are living large, filling up the oversize pages. This is where most of the humor is, and kids will get a laugh out of the pictures. Ilene Cooper
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