This is a story that I have been familiar with since middle school and was always curious about the actual size and strength of this man. His story was, of course, exaggerated, but written in such a believable way - especially with Babe. I think its a staple part of American history, especially to a child in early history class. It is a story with a context that remains relevant throughout. His character is interesting, but the impact that he has historically was what mattered most. ( )

I liked and disliked this book. I liked the language of this book. When Paul Bunyon says, "When he was done , he called the whole pile the Rocky Mountains". I like these kind of examples that the author uses. It's a clever way of how historical land features were made and makes it interesting to children. The part I disliked was how there were pictures. I could already imagine how this would all look by using the text clues and using this as a way to picture it. It is not as needed to think of a giant and how little the people are. And, if the children who hear this story do not know what the Grand Canyon is or the Mississippi River then they can do the research or you could have a class discussion on it. The big message of this book is that life long friends come out of nowhere.

Growing up, Paul Bunyan was always too big. Too big for the furniture. Too big for regular clothes. Too big to play with the other kids. But out among the tall trees in the great northern forests, Paul felt at home. So he set out with his big blue ox, Babe, to live the life of a lumberjack. The adventures of Paul and his friends are recounted by author Stephen Krensky and artist Craig Orback in this tallest tale of them all.

Summary: This children's short chapter book told the story of Paul Bunyan and his incredible journeys and hard work. It tells of his friendship with Babe the blue ox and the amount of roads they built and trees they cut down. This book tells the story of lumberjacks from the beginning of time all through one man who is the legend behind the truth.

Argument: The first element I enjoyed about this book was the introduction. The introduction talked about the meaning of a folklore and how it is an exaggerated expression of the truth. It tells the readers that while this is a story that has some truth behind it, the story itself has been changed through generations to make it appeal to listeners. For example, on page one it states, " Tale tales may be funny and outsized. But they describe the life that many workers and pioneers shared." The second element of this book that I enjoyed was the chapters. They were not necessarily chapters but the book was sectioned off with different headings whenever the story switched gears or topics. It helped with the flow of the story and also comprehension of the tale. For example, the first chapter is "Growing Up" and the second chapter is "Starting Out". The last element I enjoyed in this story was the descriptive language. The text was not long but it was so descriptive and rich. It helped me as a reader create mental images of Paul Bunyan's life and his adventures. For example, instead of saying that he was a tall and big boy the book says, "By the time he started school, he wore potato sacks for socks and used wagon wheels to button his shirts". To have an object represent size helps readers connect to the story and understand it better.
The main theme of this book was to tell the story of lumberjacks and pioneers throughout history through the use of one main character, Paul Bunyan. Paul Bunyan was not just one man, he represents the many men and women who worked hard to help create this land into what it is today. They were the first settlers and the first individuals to make a mark on the American soil. ( )

I liked this rendition of Paul Bunyan by Stephen Krensky! It is filled with short chapters about Paul Bunyan's life story. Large, colorful illustrations are included, as well as large text for the early reader.
This book would work for a younger group of preschoolers 4-6, as well as the early readers 1-3rd grades. I've seen this book used for book reports for older students.