Paul Bunyan Swings His Axe

This folktale of Paul Bunyan and his ox by Dell J. McCormick is a cute story to tell children about why it is "believed" that natural landmarks (the grand canyon, the great lakes) were formed. The illustrations are a little boring and outdated. Other than that, the story, the wording, all of it was so entertaining. It would be funny to read this to a class full of students and see their reactions! A fun way to get children involved would be to have them discuss why they think the stories are real or fake. Students could also make and wear paper beards like Paul Bunyan because I am a firm believer that dressing up makes everything 10x more fun. I LOVE this book!

Paul Bunyan Swings His Axe is a classic American folktale written in the 30's about a giant man with a giant axe who invented logging. It's a fun and simple story, from his birth as a 100 lbs bearded baby, to his adulthood as the personification of logging, beards, and flannel shirts all wrapped up in a giant of a man. It's an enjoyable read, one that's been retold for almost one hundred years!

This ones a collections of tall tales about Paul Bunyan, the giant lumberjack of the great North Woods. It's a really nice book. The stories are told in a clear and entertaining manner, embellished with amusing illustrations by Mr. McCormick. It would be a welcome addition to any collection of folk tales--which is why I want it on my shelf.

This is a great folklore tale about Paul Bunyan and his faithful blue ox named babe! It has many short stories in it compiled into a 100 page long story of Paul Bunyans life. I grew up hearing about the story of Paul Bunyan and Babe and this book is great source for his story. This book would be a great addition to any folklore unit.

Genre: Traditional Literature: Legends/Tall Tales
Media: Ink
Age Appropriateness: Primary/Intermediate
This book is a collection of the tales of Paul Bunyan. Each story is told in a fun and entertaining way. The illustrations are interesting and capture the reader's attention. This book is a good example of a legend because the plots are very short and there is one predominant character who doesn't really change. It is also a good example, because these legends have been passed down through the generations.

openlibrary has an edition with this cover and the ISBN 0590013270

I wore out a copy of this when I was a child with a very tall daddy who cut down trees....

I bet it's still a good story, at least as told by McCormick.

From back cover: When he laughs, folks think it's thunder! When he drags his great axe along the ground, he digs the Grand Canyon! And how come there are so many lakes in Minnesota? Didn't you know? They were made by the footprints of Paul Bunyan--mightiest and merriest lumberjack of the North Woods. His friend, Babe the Ox, is a mighty critter, too. He can drink up a lake in a few gulps. And one day when he does--well, come along with Paul Bunyan, as he swings his axe from Maine to California.