John Henry vs. the Mighty Steam Drill

November 1, 2014

Gr 3-5-Sandwiched between historical notes that provide both general context and biographical details, these retold legends give four (male) folktale heroes a chance to strut their stuff. The tales, spun in mildly colloquial language ("Oh Lordy, was John Henry a mighty fine babe!") are illustrated with equally mild cartoon caricatures and feature Davy Crockett wrestling a giant 'gator, Pecos Bill carving out the Grand Canyon atop a tornado, John Henry doing several good deeds before taking on that steam drill, and Johnny Appleseed rescuing injured animals as he makes his seed sowing rounds. Each volume concludes with boilerplate notes on tropes common to American folktales, a pair of Common Core-specific study questions, and a brief bibliography. Though other versions of these stories aren't hard to find, the background material will give both general readers and folklore enthusiasts a broader perspective on the genre.

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