From Publishers Weekly
Not as polished as the best of his tall tales, Kellogg's (Pecos Bill; Paul Bunyan) latest introduces a heroine generously endowed with strength, speed and spunk. At birth, Sally Ann greets her parents and nine brothers with a loud "Howdy!" and announces: "I can out-talk, out-grin, out-scream, out-swim, and out-run any baby in Kentucky!" And she certainly does, much to the astonishment of all. On her eighth birthday, the ever-smiling child leaves home to find new challenges on the frontier; eventually, she marries Davy Crockett. The story's pace slackens considerably as Sally Ann settles into unaccustomed tranquility on a farm, until she finally renews her claim to fame by besting a gang of alligators and creating The Great Alligator Tornado, which disperses the disruptive creatures from Minnesota to New Orleans. Though flawed by some jarring transitions and an overly abrupt ending, this is a merry tale, fittingly accompanied by Kellogg's buoyant colored ink, watercolor and acrylic art. Here he comically captures the boundless energy of his larger-than-life heroine. All ages.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 1-3?Kellogg retells a mighty fine tall tale of refreshing heroic feats, adding humorous details through his hallmark illustrations. While still a toddler, Sally Ann rollicks her way through numerous adventures, like outrunning rabbits and outswimming otters. At age four, she flips the strongest arm wrestlers. She screams the feathers right off the heads of a pair of eagles while rescuing Davy Crockett, who has his head caught in a tree. "'Well, star spangle my banner!'" cried Sally Ann. "'I've just invented bald eagles!'" As soon as Davy regains consciousness, he proposes, head over heels in love. However, marriage does not put an end to her amazing exploits, as she foils marauding alligators and the villainous Mike Fink to protect her child, Hardstone. In the manner of tall tales, this telling emphasizes different episodes with more humor than Caron Lee Cohen's version (Greenwillow, 1985). And, of course, Kellogg's colored-ink, watercolor and acrylic illustrations create a worthy addition to this larger-than-life genre.?Virginia Opocensky, formerly at Lincoln City Libraries, NE
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
