Tall tales

Tall tales are stories intended to dupe the listener, and are particularly associated with the United States frontier, although other cultures have stories that fit the format. Tall tales rely on a delicate balance between sober narration and comic exaggerations. American tall tales possess the very essence of the American spirit, complete with outrageous feats and daring heroes. Stories of famous tall tale heroes, such as Paul Bunyan and Mike Fink, were originally passed along through the oral tradition of storytelling.

Paul Bunyan: A Tall Tale (Morrow, 1984)

Retold and illus. by Steven Kellogg

Three Strong Women: A Tall Tale from Japan (Viking, 1962, 1990)

Retold by Claus Stamm. Illus. by Jean and Mou-sien Tseng

Library Lil (Dial, 1997)

Written by Suzanne Williams. Illus. by Steven Kellogg

Swamp Angel (Dutton, 1994)

Written by Anne Isaacs. Illus. by Paul O. Zelinsky

· Although every culture has tales of exaggeration, the type known as "tall tale" is typically American. (It is not religious in nature.) (Ex.: John Henry).

· Characteristics of a tall tale:

o It is about a character who is larger and stronger than life, who embodies an area of our country and an occupation common to that region (Paul Bunyan, a logger from the Midwest; Pecos Bill, a cowboy from the Southwest; Cap'n Stormalong, a New England sea captain; Mike Fink, a Mississippi keelboatman; John Henry, a black railroad worker from the South).

o Tall tales are sometimes called "fakelore" because they were not originally oral (Paul Bunyan is said to have begun as an advertisement for a logging company), but they are now considered as legendary characters.