Paul Bunyan

Retold and Illustrated By: Steven Kellogg

The story begins with the birth of an over-sized baby named Paul Bunyan.  His story takes us on a journey through his life in which he creates many of the great American landmarks.  As a young child Paul’s size, strength, and interest proved to him and his family that he was far different from them and others around him. Paul’s destruction of the town around him proved too much for his family to handle so they moved him to far away wilderness where he grew into a “sturdy lad” who befriended all the wilderness animals. Along his journey Paul met a blue ox named Babe that would assist him in creating many of the natural wonders in America. At the age of 17 Paul, a young man, was feeling overcrowded by other settlers and decided that he wanted to create the best lumbering crew across the country. Babe, the blue ox, pulled the long caravan of buildings on wheels across the country as they traveled from forest to forest. While clearing the Appalachian Mountains, Paul and his crew were ambushed by a gang of underground ogres called Gumberoos. After a long and rough battle, Paul left them tangled in knots and they were never heard from again. As Paul moved across the country his crew grew larger and to provide food for all of them he built a “colossal flapjack griddle” which he greased by having kitchen helpers skate with bacon attached to their feet. The houses that his crew lived in became the high rise building of modern mid-west  cities. Other accomplishments Paul achieved were building the St. Lawrence River and the great lakes so that barges of Vermont maple syrup could be brought to the camp for the flapjacks. Other accomplishments were leveling the Great Plains and shaving the slopes of the Rocky Mountains. After a blizzard that threatened to end Paul Bunyan adventures, Babe the Blue Ox rescued Paul and the crew by eating all the snow which allowed for them to travel on. In the heat of the Arizona desert started and thirsty Paul ax fell from his shoulder creating the trench – known today as the Grand Canyon. The story ends with Paul and his crew arriving in California and the Pacific Ocean. Once his journey was complete, Paul and the Blue ox, retired to the untouched wilderness of Alaska.

Classroom Applications: In this Traditional or Folk Literature book, students are introduced into a different style of writing and the characteristics of that genre. Besides for allowing students the opportunity to examine many different books from this genre - have students compose the list of characteristics that are found in many of the books to support this style. 

 Another application is for students to examine the book in small groups. Each group examining a different claims from Paul Bunyan, such as he is " building the St. Lawrence River etc..."  Students could look up how these landforms were actually created and share their findings and illustrations to the class.