Tall Tales are folktales that harness the storytelling power of exaggeration to share the adventures of fictional or historical heroes. Many of these American folk heroes include the likes of Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill, John Henry, Molly Pitcher, Johnny Appleseed, Annie Oakley and more. Oftentimes they originated from oral traditions that explained complex natural processes — such as the creation of the Grand Canyon or lightning and thunder — in a fantastical, humorous way. Their overt use of literary devices such as hyperbole, onomatopoeia, imagery, similes and more provide the perfect vehicle for teaching young students the art of fictional writing. Listed below are 15 of my favorite tall tale picture books of all time to share with your children.

Paul Bunyan by Steven Kellogg

 

You can’t study tall tales without hearing the name Paul Bunyan, the legendary carver of the Grand Canyon, excavator of the Great Lakes and more. This hilarious retelling, written and illustrated by Steven Kellogg, provides the perfect read aloud for storytime with minimal but humorous narrative and engrossing artwork on every page. This book also serves as our central text for the Tall Tales section in Rabbit Trails Through Literature Volume 4!

I Was Born About 10,000 Years Ago by Steven Kellogg

 

Based on a 19th-century folk song made popular by Elvis Presley, I Was Born About 10,000 Years Ago is a rhyming series of whoppers that begins with baby Moses being rescued in the rushes and ends with a return flight from Saturn. Readers meet various historical and fictional characters along the way including Paul Bunyan, Adam and Eve, Christopher Columbus and Queen Elizabeth. Steven Kellogg, master tall tale storyteller, hilariously illustrates the narrator’s preposterous claims to have lived through the world’s most significant events.

John Henry by Julius Lester & Jerry Pinkney

 

This classic African-American folk ballad chronicles the tall tale of John Henry, steel-driver for the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad who rose to heroic myth when he challenged a steam drill to see who could cut through a mountain faster: man or machine. This Caldecott Honor book celebrates the courage and tenacity of the human spirit with rhythmic storytelling and gorgeous, detailed watercolor illustrations.

Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek by Deborah Hopkinson & John Hendrix

 

Students will read about a little known story in this nonfiction and yet tall tale about our country’s 16th president. Set in Kentucky in 1816 when Abe was a mere 7 years old, the story details the adventures and mishaps with his childhood friend Austin Gollaher. Using engaging illustrations and 2nd person point of view storytelling, readers will observe this pivotal moment in the young president’s life as if they are first-hand witnesses.

Doña Flor by Pat Mora & Raul Colón

 

Doña Flor presents a humorous tall tale about a benevolent giant of a woman in the American Southwest. When a frightening noise terrifies her village, the brave Flor sets off atop the tallest mesa to protect them, only to need rescuing herself. Written and illustrated by Latinos Pat Mora and Raul Colón, this heartwarming story pays homage to a vibrant, caring culture and magnificent landscape.

Cut From the Same Cloth by Robert D. San Souci

 

Everyone knows the tall tales of Paul Bunyan, John Henry, Davy Crockett and Johnny Appleseed. But for every legendary man, there are countless women of similarly mythic proportions who were “cut from the same cloth,” so to speak. This winner of the Aesop Prize collects from Hawaiian, Native American, Eskimo and other American subcultures and shares the lesser known folktales of Star Maiden, Molly Cottontail, Bess Call, Hekeke, Old Sally Cato and more.

The Legend of Gravity: A Tall Basketball Tale by Charly Palmer

 

Gravity is the newest member of the Eagles, the Hillside Projects basketball team, and hopes are high that he will lead the team to victory in Milwaukee’s “Best of the Best” pick-up tournament this year. Gravity once jumped so high that his team went out for ice cream before he came back down! This inspiring tale about teamwork, unsung heroes and friendship will keep readers suspended in excitement as they follow the team’s climb to neighborhood legend.

Thunder Rose by Jerdine Nolen & Kadir Nelson

 

Reading like an old west fable, Thunder Rose is the larger-than-life story of a resilient, confident young black girl — “the first child born free” to Jackson and Millicent McGruder. Birthed with thunder and lightning pounding at the door, Rose grabbed hold of the flashing light, rolled it in a ball, and announced her own preference to be named. This tall tale celebrates the bold, adventurous spirits of African slaves post-Civil War as they settled into their new-found freedom as Americans.

Swamp Angel by Anne Isaacs & Paul O. Zelinksy

 

This award-winning tall tale recounts the story of Angelica Longrider, born barely taller than her mother, who lassos tornadoes, drinks lakes dry and wrestles a fearsome bear from the top of the Great Smoky Mountains to the bottom of a lake to protect her American frontier neighbors. Illustrated with stunning folk art by the acclaimed Paul Zelinsky, this far-fetched heroine’s saga will delight readers with its original, refreshing boasts and storyline. 

The Gullywasher by Joyce Rossi

 

This heartwarming, bilingual story of a girl questioning her abuelito (grandfather) and his increasingly aggrandized responses provides the perfect backdrop for learning about tall tale hyperbole, the American southwest landscape and Hispanic culture. It’s an endearing tale that provides creative answers to some of mankind’s most challenging questions about the changes we go through as we age.

The Tall Tale of the Giant’s Causeway: Finn McCool, Benandonner and the Road Between Ireland and Scotland by Lari Don & Emilie Gill

 

Inspired by a Celtic folktale, The Tall Tale of the Giant’s Causeway explains how a rivalry between two giants led to the building of a world-famous thoroughfare between Ireland and Scotland. Full of trickery and boasts as large as its main characters, this picture book is a lovely introduction to both tall tales and the geography of these two gorgeous countries.

Lies and Other Tall Tales by Zora Neale Hurston, Joyce Carol Thomas & Christopher Myers

 

This collection of whoppers gathered by Harlem Renaissance writer Zora Neale Hurston in the 1930s features lore of the southern gulf states set in a bantering challenge as each tale tries to top the next. Paper and fabric collages in high contrast colors and minimalist design convey the silliness of each lie without overcomplicating.

Johnny Kaw: A Tall Tale by Devin Scillian & Brad Sneed

 

With a son who won’t stop growing, the Kaw family head out west to find room for him to play, settling in what today is known as Kansas. Author Devin Scillian spins this story about the boy who created the sunflower state’s landscape into a rhyming, rhythmic yarn in the tradition of classic tall tales. Illustrator Brad Sneed’s energetic, exaggerative style brings this epic legend to life.

Sitka Rose by Shelley Gill & Shannon Cartwright

 

Sitka Rose captures the timeless tale of an adventurous girl whose travels take her from Nome to the Northern Lights spanning across time from the creation of the Yukon River and Denali National Park to the Gold Rush. This tall tale provides ample material to explore the Alaskan landscape including maps, topography, animals and more.

Higgins Bend Song & Dance by Jacqueline Briggs Martin & Brad Sneed

 

Simon Henry is the most masterful angler in all of Higgins Bend, but he may have met his match with Oscar, a catfish known for stealing bait and never getting caught. This fish tale whopper of man versus beast hints of Hemingway’s Old Man and the Sea with exaggerated, lively characters and illustrations that will keep readers engaged and laughing.

Learn MORE about Tall Tales inside of Rabbit Trails through Literature Volume 4!

Rabbit Trails through Literature Volume 4 is filled with these wonderful books, plus hands-on activites, artist studies, 16 different language arts lessons, copywork, and more. Check it out here!

Picture Books About Tall Tales

That wraps up our list of picture books about tall tales! We’d love to add to it, though. What suggestions do you have? Let us know down in the comments or inside of our online homeschool community.