Tall Tales
Curriculum Materials Center
David & Lorraine Cheng Library, William Paterson University
A tall tale is an exaggerated story about real or fictional people and animals that is related as a
true and factual account. They solve problems in hard to believe ways and the characters are
bigger than life. Tall tales are usually humorous. This is an annotated list of tall tales for children
in grades K-8.
Teaching Aids:
Fredericks, A. D. (2008). American folklore, legends, and tall tales for readers theatre.
Westport, CT: Teachers Idea Press. (Grades 3-8).
A collection of best loved stories in readers theatre format to integrate with the United
States history and language arts curriculum in the upper elementary and middle school
grades.
Call number: Curr.Mats. PS3606 .R433 A73 2008
Perry, P. J. (2002). Ten tall tales: Origins, activities & more. Fort Atkinson, WI: Upstart Books.
(Grades 3-8).
Includes history, resources, websites, and multi-disciplinary activities for ten
American tall tales.
Call number: Curr.Mats. GR105.3 .P477 2002
West, T. (1998). Teaching tall tales: Reproducible stories, writing mini lessons, geography
and map activities, plus other spin-offs across the curriculum. New York, NY:
Scholastic Professional Books. (Grades 3-5).
Tall tale characters like Pecos Bill, Slue Foot Sue, and John Henry put a fun new twist
on teaching history, geography, and literature through these engaging activities.
Call number: Curr.Mats. GR45 .W48 1998
Children’s Books:
Hamilton, V. (1985). The people could fly: American Black folktales. New York, NY: Knopf.
(Grades 3-9).
Retold African-American folktales of animals, fantasy, the supernatural, and desire for
freedom born of the sorrow of the slaves, but passed on in hope.
Call number: Curr.Mats. j398.2 Ham
Keats, E. J. (1987). John Henry: An American legend. New York, NY: Knopf. (Grades 3-5).
Describes the life of the legendary steel-driving man who was born and who died with a
hammer in his hand.
Call number: Curr.Mats. j398.22 Kea 1987
Kellogg, S. (1984). Paul Bunyan: A tall tale. New York, NY: W. Morrow. (Grades K-3).
Recounts the life of the extraordinary lumberjack whose unusual size and strength
brought him many adventures.
Call number: Curr.Mats. j398.2 Kel
Kellogg, S. (1986). Pecos Bill: A tall tale. New York, NY: Morrow. (Grades 1-5).
Incidents from the life of Pecos Bill, from his childhood among the coyotes to his unusual
wedding day.
Call number: Curr.Mats. j398.22 Kel
Lester, J. (1994). John Henry. New York: NY: Dial Books. (Grades 4-8).
Retells the life of the legendary African America hero who raced against a steam drill to
cut through a mountain.
Call number: Curr.Mats. j398.21 Les
Malcolmson, A. B. (1941). Yankee Doodle’s cousins. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.
(Grades 6-8).
A collection of American tall tales.
Call number: Curr.Mats. j398.2 Mal
Mora, P. (2005). Dona Flor: A tall tale about a giant woman with a great big heart. New
York, NY: Knopf. (Grades K-3).
Dona Flor sets off to protect her neighbors from what they think is a dangerous animal.
She soon discovers the tiny secret behind the big noise.
Call number: Curr.Mats. PJ Mor
Nolen, J. (2003). Thunder Rose. San Diego, CA: Harcourt. (Grades PreK-3).
Thunder Rose performs all sorts of amazing feats, building fences, taming a herd of
steers, capturing a gang of rustlers, and turning aside a tornado.
Call number: Curr.Mats. PJ Nol
Osborne, M. P. (1991). American tall tales. New York, NY: Knopf. (Grades 4-8).
A collection of tall tales about American folk heroes.
Call number: Curr.Mats. j398.22 Osb
Scieszka, J. (2001). Baloney. New York, NY: Viking. (Grades K-4).
A transmission received from outer space in a combination of different Earth languages
tells of an alien schoolboy’s fantastic excuse for being late to school.
Call number: Curr.Mats. PJ Sci
Wood, A. (1996). The Bunyans. New York, NY: Blue Sky Press. (Grades K-4).
Paul Bunyan, his wife, and their children do some ordinary things which result in the
formation of Niagara Falls, Bryce Canyon, and other natural monuments.
Call number: Curr.Mats. PJ Woo
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