Customer Reviews

Ol' Paul, the Mighty Logger

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ISBN 082340269x, ASIN B00071KPM0, ASIN B001ZUOC7Q, ASIN B000KLUPM2, ASIN B000E0P4SE, ASIN B000V8W464, ASIN B000K3XLJE, ASIN B001JB8S9E, ISBN 0823407136 - Printed in the United States of America. Age range not stated. Fortieth Anniversary edition. Hardcover with dustjacket, 93 pages. Published by Holiday House, 1976. Text and illustrations by Glen Rounds.

From the jacket flap: Originally published in 1936 and in print ever since, this edition of Paul Bunyan tales has new illustrations, new type and a larger trim size. - But the stories of Ol' Paul's seemingly incredible accomplishments - the invention of logging, the straightening of the Whistling River, the building of the Rocky Mountains, to name just a few - are unchanged. Also remaining are the eyewitness descriptions of Ole, the Big Swede; Sourdough Sam, the camp cook; Johnny Inkslinger, who is said to have invented figures and bookkeeping; and Babe, the Might Blue Ox, the distance between whose eyes measured 171 axe handles, three small cans of tomatoes, and a plug of chewing tobacco - when laid end to end. - These stories have been reprinted in numerous anthologies for adults as well as young readers.

Paul Bunyan, he of great fame in American folklore, was of course, even greater than you suspect. He's sort of like Donald Trump, expect he doesn't constantly talk about how great he is. Plus, Paul's actually great. He built the Rocky Mountains, straightened a river, out-witted mosquitoes the size of planes, and created the Grand Canyon. He didn't do these things for fame, he did them because they needed doing! By the end of the book, you can see why Paul Bunyan is easily the single most famous man in the country.

I love tall tales, especially those that are so blatantly tall. Rounds's writing is dead-on - you'll actually find yourself reading with a slight Western twang, whether you have one or not. The illustrations are not grand and glorious full-color images. Instead, they're just the sort of thing you would think might come from a guy who happened to spend a few years in a logging camp with Bunyan and his crew. I have only one complaint: other than when he introduces the ox, Rounds refers to Blue as "the Ox" throughout the book. It's not a bad things, just a strange thing. Timeless tales like Bunyan's exploits are made to be passed down to your kids!

- AnnaLovesBooks