American Tall Tales

September 23, 1991
American folk heroes of the 19th century spring to life in these splendidly retold sagas. Osborne's reputation as a gifted raconteur ( Favorite Greek Myths ; Beauty and the Beast ) is reaffirmed in this compendium, which retells the legends of familiar figures (Davy Crockett, Paul Bunyan, Johnny Appleseed, Pecos Bill), as well as lesser known personalities, such as Crockett's fictional wife Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind, a composite character shaped by tales of various real-life women. Also chronicled are heroes hailing from places other than the backwoods, including Stormalong, a giant sailor who as a baby was washed onto a Cape Cod beach by a tidal wave, and Mose, a New York City fireman immortalized in an 1848 Broadway play. As tantalizing as Osborne's storytelling are McCurdy's ( The Owl-Scatterer ) elaborate, full-color wood engravings, which in their robust stylization dramatically render the grandeur of these engrossing yarns. Ages 6-up.

Tall tales are that captivating genre of literature in which geography, forces of nature, and strong characters converge. The likes of Stormalong, the three-fathoms-tall sailor; Mose, the tireless New York firefighter; and Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind, master tamer of rattlesnakes and men, simultaneously entertain and explain the shaping of the American psyche. In this fine recording, Osborne has selected American greats and, from each body of adventure, timeless episodes. With his talent for regional accents, Scott Snively takes the listener directly to that part of the United States and creates vivid characters. The listener is on the Great Plains as Swedish farmer Febold Feboldson lures settlers with his schemes to tame Mother Nature. In Maine the listener feels Paul Bunyan's sadness each time civilization forces him to a new wilderness. Interludes of period harmonica music complete this delightful listening package. A.R. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine