[BOOK REVIEW] Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind Crockett by Steven Kellogg

Title:  Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind Crockett

Author:  Steven Kellogg

Genre:  Humor / Tall Tale / Feminism / Adventure

Year Published: 1995

Year Read:  2008

Publisher: Mulberry Paperback Book

Series: A Tall Tale

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 5+  (Nothing Objectionable)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository 

Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind Crockett” (What a name!), is a great book from the excellent retelling of Steven Kellogg. Steven Kellogg’s version of America’s best heroine is extremely funny and energetic and will surely grab the attention of both children and adults.

The book is basically about the life and adventures of Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind as it details from her birth as being the first and only girl in her family of nine sons to being one of the best female athletes in the state.  Her astonishing talents ranged from causing a grizzly bear to lose its fur when she gave it a bright grin that blinded the bear to eventually meeting up with her future husband Davy Crockett!

Steven Kellogg did an excellent job at retelling and illustrating the exciting adventures of Sally Ann. Sally Ann is a true model for strong women as she battles various obstacles with ease while at the same time trying to be the loving wife and mother to Davy Crockett and her baby son, Hardstone. Sally Ann is also an extremely confident woman as she continues to do the things that she loves to do despite what other people say and that shows that anyone can do anything if they put their heart into it. Steven Kellogg’s illustrations are incredible and funny as he illustrates Sally Ann’s adventures from the wilderness to being a housewife. The images that really show out in the story are the image of Sally Ann flinging the alligators into the blue sky while she is conjuring up a tornado and the image of a grown Sally Ann standing alone in a bear skin while snowflakes are falling around her during the winter.

“Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind Crockett” (That name again!) is a spectacular tale about how a strong heroine made a difference in her world by showing everyone that anyone could do the impossible if they believe in themselves. Steven Kellogg’s beautiful and humorous retelling of this strong woman is an instant treat for children ages five and older and will also be intriguing for the adults who enjoy tall tale stories.

[BOOK REVIEW] The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash by Trinka Hakes Noble

Title:  The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash

Author:  Trinka Hakes Noble

Artist:  Steven Kellogg

Genre: Humor / Animals / School / Field Trip / Farm

 
Year Published: 1980

Year Read:  2010

Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers

Series: Jimmy's Boa #1

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 4+ (Nothing Objectionable)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository 

 “The Day Jimmy’s Boa Ate the Wash” is a truly hilarious story from the creative mind of Trinka Hakes Noble along with illustrations by Steven Kellogg and it is about a girl’s wild adventures at the field trip to the farm.  “The Day Jimmy’s Boa Ate the Wash” is definitely one of the most memorable books about farm adventures ever written that many children will enjoy for years!

Trinka Hakes Noble has done an excellent job at writing this story as it details a girl’s adventures at the farm.  Trinka Hakes Noble writes the story in a creative and hilarious way as the book’s narration is set up as a dialogue between the girl and her mother, which helps children see the close interaction between the girl and her mother and seeing the story from their perspective instead of through a third person point of view meaning that there is an actual narrator narrating this story.  Trinka Hakes Noble’s writing is also hilarious as the girl details her adventures at the farm in a cause and effect fashion as each catastrophic event leads to another.  Steven Kellogg’s illustrations are both hilarious and beautiful at the same time as the children always have a smile on their faces and the antics that are caused by the realease of Jimmy’s pet boa constrictor is drawn in a chaotic way as the children and the teacher have wild looking hair and wild expressions as a peaceful trip to the farm takes a turn for the worse.

“The Day Jimmy’s Boa Ate the Wash” is a brilliant and hilarious book for children who enjoy reading about the farm and love crazy adventures and will be a favorite among many children for years.  I would recommend this book to children ages four and up since there is nothing inappropriate about this book.

* 1987 Flicker Tale Children's Book Award

  

[BOOK REVIEW] Mike Fink by Steven Kellogg

Title:  Mike Fink

Author:  Steven Kellogg

Genre: Tall Tale / Competition /Adventure

Year Published: 1992

Year Read: 2014

Publisher: Morrow Junior Books

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 5+ (Some Fighting Scenes)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository 

I have read many tall tale stories from the legendary Steven Kellogg, but this is honestly the first time that I had checked out Steven Kellogg’s work on an unknown tall tale hero, “Mike Fink!”  I must say that this is definitely one tall tale story that you should check out!

Mike Fink was always born for adventure, especially during an incident when he was two days old and he ran away from home to join up with a group of acrobatic frogs!  When Mike got older, he started wrestling with other boys twice his size and he always came out on top!  One day, however when Mike was planning on becoming a Keel Boatman, he meets up with Jack Carpenter, the King of the keel boatmen and he wanted to wrestle with him.  But, Jack proved to be much stronger than Mike and he ends up throwing Mike into the Rocky Mountains, where Mike ends up meeting a group of bears that are constantly shown wrestling each other.  After Mike spends some time practicing wrestling with these bears, he goes back to Jack Carpenter and…

Does Mike end up winning his fight with Jack Carpenter and what other adventures will Mike Fink go on next?

Read this book to find out!

*Now, judging by that summary, you might think that the whole point of this book was Mike’s fight with Jack Carpenter, but oh no.  That is not the end of Mike’s adventures!  Just for the sake of not spoiling too much in this book, I just cut the summary off at Mike’s meeting with Jack Carpenter!*

Wow! I have read many tall tales during my time, but I had never read a tall tale story that stars Mike Fink before.  I have heard of Mike Fink in other tall tales stories like “Davy Crockett” and “Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind Crockett,” but I have never read any stories that featured him as a solo character.  Now, I finally got that chance with Steven Kellogg’s rendition of this larger than life tall tale hero!  I honestly enjoyed this retelling of this unknown tall tale hero as before, I did not know much about Mike Fink until I read this book and now that I read this book, I am definitely looking forward to reading more stories about Mike Fink!  I loved the way that Steven Kellogg brings humor and adventure to this tall tale as Mike Fink is constantly being shown taking down opponents that are much larger than him and yet, he is always determined to become the strongest Keel Boatman no matter what kind of odds are stacked against him.  I also loved the exaggerated and hilarious adventures that Mike Fink has throughout his life such as playing around with acrobatic frogs and wrestling with grizzly bears as they bring so much creativity to this story!  Steven Kellogg’s artwork was also beautiful and impressive to look at, especially during the scenes where Mike is doing various stunts that would make you scratch your head in confusion and yet be awed by the awesomeness of those stunts!  I especially loved the artwork of the landscapes in the Rocky Mountains as they look realistic and beautiful and they give the story a sense of beauty while also providing an adventurous tone.

The only thing about this book that sort of rubbed me the wrong way was how the book ended.  I mean, it is sort of a clean cut ending as in the story is wrapped up nicely, but at the same time I expected to see more from the final fight that Mike engages in. I would have loved to see more illustrations that detailed the final fight rather than just leaving it up to the audience’s imagination about what happened after that fight (by the way, I am not telling you what the final fight was all about so that way, I would not spoil too much about this book)! 

Overall, “Mike Fink” is a fantastic story that really details the adventures of one of the lesser known tall tale heroes in a humorous and adventurous way.  Anyone who wants to check out the fun adventures of Mike Fink or find a good book that is all about Mike Fink, you should definitely give this book a whirl!