Tall Tales

Books for Readers in the Primary Grades

To order any of these titles, contact the library by email, mail or phone. You may also request these titles online through our OPAC. Happy Reading!

American Tall Tales by Mary Pope Osborne.
RC 35612.
The author presents nine all-American folk figures whose extraordinary exploits take them from coast to coast. Included are Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind, a composite of several legendary characters; actual people like Davy Crockett, Johnny Appleseed, and John Henry; and fictitious characters such as Pecos Bill, Paul Bunyan, and Febold Feboldson. For grades 3-6 and older readers.

Andy and the Lion by James Henry Daugherty.
BR 4293.
A modern tall tale in which a little boy does a favor for a lion and earns his undying gratitude. For grades K-3.

The Baron on the Island of Cheese by Adrian Mitchell.
RC 32509.
Baron Munchausen’s tall tales were first recorded in 1785 in a small booklet that was published anonymously and assumed to have been written by Rudolph Erich Raspe, who was a friend of the real Baron Munchausen, a German gentleman and gifted storyteller. Here the baron boasts of his incredible adventures, including his descent into an erupting volcano and his discovery of an island made entirely of cheese. For grades 2-4 and older readers.

I Was Born about 10,000 Years Ago by Steven Kellogg.
RC 45277.
The storyteller, born about 100 centuries ago, relates the events he has seen over the years. He saw Adam and Eve driven from the Garden of Eden, he saw Christopher Columbus reach America, he helped Johnny Appleseed plant each seed, and he played hopscotch with some spacemen on the moon. For grades K-3.

Jim Bridger’s Alarm Clock and Other Tall Tales by Sid Fleischman.
BR 4109 and RC 15302.
Three clever tales about Jim Bridger, a mighty tall man who discovers the Great Salt Lake, the Petrified Forest, and a flat-topped mountain that becomes his alarm clock. High-spirited humor for grades 3-6.

John Tabor’s Ride by Edward C. Day.
RC 34163.
Once upon a time there was a sailor named John Tabor, who on his maiden voyage complained about everything. He complained about the food, the hard work, the uncomfortable bed, the wind, the sun, and the smell, and he longed to go home. Then, one night a mysterious sailor appeared and took him on a hair-raising ride around the world on the back of a whale. For grades K-3.

Larger Than Life by Robert D. San Souci.
RC 38170.
John Henry weighed 44 pounds at birth and loved hammering even as a baby. Alfred Bulltop Stormalong, who always loved the sea, stood 24 feet tall. And Slue-Foot Sue, big and brawny, could do the work of 10 men. The author retells five tall tales about these and legendary American heroes. For grades 3-6 and older readers.

McBroom Tells a Lie by Sid Fleischman.
RC 11095.
Tall tales fly as Josh McBroom and his family save their farm with popcorn machine, frozen sunlight, and jumping beans. For grades 3-5.

McBroom’s Wonderful One-Acre Farm by Sid Fleischman.
RC 41575.
Josh McBroom, his wife, and their 11 children are heading west when they are offered a farm in Iowa. The farm is under water, but a dry spell soon turns it into one acre of land with very rich soil. Crops grow in minutes, trees in hours. The McBrooms love their new farm, but they must fight wind that carries off small children and grasshoppers that eat anything green. For grades 3-6.

Matt’s Mitt by Marilyn Sachs.
RC 10372.
A ne’er-do-well uncle gives Matt an old, blue baseball mitt as a baby gift. Years later, Matt and his magic mitt make baseball history together. A contemporary tall tale for grades 1-3.

Mike Fink: A Tall Tale by Steven Kellogg.
BR 9910.
Born near the Allegheny Mountains, Mike Fink decides at the tender age of two-days-old that he hates being shut indoors and becomes a runaway. Mike sees the rugged keelboatmen, hears the tales of their mighty exploits, and decides he wants to be one. The author retells the tall tale of Mike Fink, the most famous of the strong, rough, and rowdy keelboatmen. For grades K-3 and older readers.

Mouse Tales by Arnold Lobel.
BR 10172 or RC 40772.
Once the mouse boys are all tucked into bed, they beg Papa for a bedtime story. Papa puts his sons to sleep by telling, not just one funny story, but seven—one for each of his boys. For grades K-3

Paul Bunyan by Steven Kellogg.
LP 50137.
Recounts the life of the extraordinary lumberjack whose unusual size and strength brought him many fantastic adventures. For grades K-3.

Pecos Bill: A Tall Tale by Steven Kellogg.
RC 25297.
The story of one of the West's larger-than-life heroes, who invented rodeos, lassos, and cattle roping. For grades 2-4.

Peg and the Whale by Kenneth Oppel.
BR 13082.
Peg has caught pretty much everything that swims. Now almost seven, she wants to go fishing for a whale--even though her father points out it is a mammal. She packs up her rod and reel and signs onto a whaling ship. Print/Braille. For grades K-3.

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren.
BR 07770 or LP 42 or RC 24423.
Pippi is a nine-year-old Swedish girl who lives alone with her horse and monkey and shares her wild doings, feats of strength, and tall tales with the nice, normal little boy and girl who live next door. For grades 3-6.

The Story of Paul Bunyan by Barbara Emberley.
BR 11056 or RC 44385.
Includes tales of how the mighty lumberjack Paul Bunyan and his big blue ox Babe cleared the land for planting in Kansas and Iowa, and how they dug the Mississippi River. For grades K-3.

Swamp Angel by Anne Isaacs.
BR 9936 or RC 40499.
When Angelica Longrider was born on August 1, 1815, she was "scarcely taller than her mother." By the age of two, she had built her own log cabin, and when she was 12, she rescued a whole wagon train from Dejection Swamp and got the name Swamp Angel. But Angelica was best known for her fight with Thundering Tarnation, the biggest and meanest bear anyone had ever known. For grades K-3

The Trolls by Polly Horvath.
RC 48714.
Aunt Sally arrives with her suitcases and stories to take care of Melissa, age 10, Amanda, age eight, and Pee Wee, age six, while their parents go on vacation. She tells family stories about growing up in Canada that their father never told them, especially the tale of the trolls. For grades 3-6.

Washday on Noah’s Ark by Glen Rounds.
BR 6125 or RC 24667.
When the 41st day on the ark dawns bright and clear, Mrs. Noah decides to do the laundry. When she can't find a clothesline long enough, she comes up with a clever solution to hang out the wash. For grades K-2.