Very Short Tall Tales to Read Together Review

Very Short Tall Tales to Read Together

Written by Mary Ann Hoberman

Illustrated by Michael Emberley

Bibliography

Hoberman, M.A. (2014). Very short tall tales to read together (M. Emberley, Illus.). Megan Tingley Books.

ISBN 978031683291

Summary

Hoberman writes 15 poems highlighting tall tales from American folklore. In her Author's Note at the beginning, she explains that in tall tales exaggeration is key, "the more the better" (4). Some of the characters are real with exaggerated stories (like Annie Oakley, Johnny Appleseed, and Davy Crockett). Others are made up entirely. Hoberman writes these tall tales specifically to be read aloud with two voices. The poems are color-coded so the readers have a visual clue for when to switch. Michael Emberley paints exaggerated illustrations to accompany these tall tales.

Analysis

The tall tales are fun to read. The rhythm and rhymes are strong, making them good for read-alouds. Students will enjoy learning about these legends of folkore. However, as poems to be read by two people, I think it falls flat. Sometimes the rhythm works for two voices, like in Slue-Foot Sue and Pecos Bill and The End poem where the voices are evenly divided among the structure of the poems. In Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind, the two voices seem choppy, almost like the second voice is intruding on the narrative, rather than enhancing it. I felt like mostly it didn't flow the way Hoberman envisioned it. Additionally, I did not care for Emberley's illustrations. The illustrations seems out-dated, and they detracted from the tales, rather than complementing them.

Highlighted Poem

This portion of the poem Alfred Bulltop Sormalong was my favorite. The imagery is well-done.

Alfred Bulltop Sormalong

I started as a cabin boy.

The captain shouted, "Ship ahoy!

Help hoist the anchor, Stormalong!"

We all pulled hard, but things went wrong.

        What was the matter?

Worst of luck!

We couldn't move! The anchor stuck!

        What did you do to free your boat?

Took off my pants, my hat and coat,

My shoes and socks, then took a leap

Straight down into the briny deep.

        Why were you stuck? What did you find?

I found an octopus entwined,

A slimy two-ton octopus.

That beast would not let go of us.

        I would have swum away!

Not me!

I pulled that eight-armed creature free.

I wrestled it into a knot

And tied it up right on the spot.

Use

After reading Johnny Appleseed, we will read the narrative nonfiction biography (also told in verse) Johnny Appleseed by Reeve Lindbergh to compare and contrast two different folk-tellings. We will also listen to this podcast from Stuff You Missed in History Class that talks about the real Johnny Appleseed: John Chapman.