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A Tall Tale
Pecos Bill: A Classic Read-Aloud Tale About a Wild Western Cowboy for Kids
"The anecdotes associated with Texas's fabled cowboy hero burst from the pages in rapid succession, Kellogg's robust illustrations enlarging and enriching the energetic text."--School Library Journal. "A read-aloud treat....One of Kellogg's best."--Booklist.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1986
17 people are currently reading
528 people want to read
About the author
Steven Kellogg
169 books176 followersSteven Kellogg is an author and illustrator who has contributed over 90 books for children. He is best known for writing books about animals, for which he credits his grandmother .
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews
September 16, 2018
Pecos Bill is a very interesting Tall Tale. To be honest, I am pretty shocked that I have never experienced any versions of this story before. Nevertheless, I was very amused with this rendition through the exaggerated wrestling the venom out of a snake to inventing steers with shorter legs on one side. I also loved the illustrations presented alongside Kellogg's retelling. The illustrations were very descriptive and related well with the text.
However, I did have one slight bit of confusion. This could be due to the fact that I am not versed in this tall tale, but I feel as if the transitions were rather rough. The one that really threw me for a loop was when Bill met Stewfoot Sue because it seemed extremely abrupt. The story felt like it was coming to a close when this piece was thrown in. Although I felt uneasy, I still understood that it was used to help tie the events together into a heartwarming ending.
In the end, I can see why this would be fun to share with children.
However, I did have one slight bit of confusion. This could be due to the fact that I am not versed in this tall tale, but I feel as if the transitions were rather rough. The one that really threw me for a loop was when Bill met Stewfoot Sue because it seemed extremely abrupt. The story felt like it was coming to a close when this piece was thrown in. Although I felt uneasy, I still understood that it was used to help tie the events together into a heartwarming ending.
In the end, I can see why this would be fun to share with children.
April 26, 2017
i love that he grew up with wolves it is very funny and everyone should read it
March 7, 2018
I love Steven Kellogg's retelling of this tall tale, and he has great illustrations that help tell the story.
March 28, 2020
Howdy Partner! Are you ready for the tale of Pecos Bill? Join the Texan cowboy as he lassos cows, helps his family on their ranch, and enjoys life in the old Wild West.
Pecos Bill: A Tall Tale is classified in the folk literature genre, more specifically it is a tall tale. Folk literature books are originally told orally, so no one knows who told these stories first. Stories such as The Three Little Pigs and Cinderella are classified as folk literature, and of course Pecos Bill: A Tall Tale. According to Terrell A. Young of Children’s Literature, Briefly, “hyperbole or exaggeration is the major stylistic element in all tall tales,” (Young, 137). For example in Pecos Bill: A Tall Tale, it is said that “Pecos Bill invented the art of being a cowboy. He invented the skill of throwing a special rope called a lasso over a cow's head to catch wandering cattle. Some say he used a rattlesnake for a lasso. Others say he made a lasso so big that it circled the whole Earth,” (Kellogg, 26-27). Obviously, no one can use a rattlesnake as a lasso or create a lasso that can circle Earth. Hyperboles and exaggerations add intrigue and entertainment to tall tales, as they can be loosely based on a real figure and not told as a fact.
Folk literature is a very important genre in the classroom, especially in the elementary classroom. In the classroom, I can see folk literature being a mentor text for student writing. As a class, we can read folk literature such as Pecos Bill: A Tall Tale or Sleeping Beauty and individually students can write and illustrate their own folk tale. Frank Serafini and Lindsey Moses state “expanding the idea of reading like a writer to include illustrators and extend beyond traditional narratives provides greater access and opportunities for developing skills as writers for primary students,” (Serafini and Moses, 7). Having students read books in nontraditional narratives, such as folk literature that has been told in different way, will expose your students to a new type of mentor text to read and try to write themselves.
Pecos Bill: A Tall Tale is classified in the folk literature genre, more specifically it is a tall tale. Folk literature books are originally told orally, so no one knows who told these stories first. Stories such as The Three Little Pigs and Cinderella are classified as folk literature, and of course Pecos Bill: A Tall Tale. According to Terrell A. Young of Children’s Literature, Briefly, “hyperbole or exaggeration is the major stylistic element in all tall tales,” (Young, 137). For example in Pecos Bill: A Tall Tale, it is said that “Pecos Bill invented the art of being a cowboy. He invented the skill of throwing a special rope called a lasso over a cow's head to catch wandering cattle. Some say he used a rattlesnake for a lasso. Others say he made a lasso so big that it circled the whole Earth,” (Kellogg, 26-27). Obviously, no one can use a rattlesnake as a lasso or create a lasso that can circle Earth. Hyperboles and exaggerations add intrigue and entertainment to tall tales, as they can be loosely based on a real figure and not told as a fact.
Folk literature is a very important genre in the classroom, especially in the elementary classroom. In the classroom, I can see folk literature being a mentor text for student writing. As a class, we can read folk literature such as Pecos Bill: A Tall Tale or Sleeping Beauty and individually students can write and illustrate their own folk tale. Frank Serafini and Lindsey Moses state “expanding the idea of reading like a writer to include illustrators and extend beyond traditional narratives provides greater access and opportunities for developing skills as writers for primary students,” (Serafini and Moses, 7). Having students read books in nontraditional narratives, such as folk literature that has been told in different way, will expose your students to a new type of mentor text to read and try to write themselves.
March 22, 2023
Steven Kellogg wrote Pecos Bill as a sequence story because first, he was a baby and his family was looking for a place to live, and this is the exposition. The rising action would be when he is living with the coyotes and living on how to be a wild creature until Chuck finds him sleeping in the brush. I love how when he goes to meet the Hell's Gulch Gang, he gets ambushed by a giant rattlesnake that he wrestles, as well as a mutant creature that he lassoes using the rattlesnake, which would be the climax of the story. Also when he meets up with the Hell's Gulch Gang and he lassoes a steer, which they had never been able to do before. The falling action would be when he chases after the horse Lightning/Widow-maker and eventually is able to catch it and tame it, and then he claims a large amount of land in Texas for himself and the gang. The Resolution is when he gets married to Slewfoot Sue and they are in a tornado after Lightning bucked with her on his back, sending her into space, and after riding in the tornado they end up landing on his family's wagon in California, where they are still searching for land to live on. He tells them that there is plenty of room for them to live in Texas with him and the gang.
September 4, 2022
Pecos Bill, raised by coyotes and able to lasso twisters. A fantastic tall tale.
Reading for our LA unit on Tall Tales!
Reading for our LA unit on Tall Tales!
October 24, 2022
An intriguing folklore story centered around the Western Expansion! The picture book has a vivid and realistic spread before the title page that tells a story. The protagonist attempts to live a different life due to the setting taking place in Texas. A great read you wouldn’t want to miss!
May 9, 2017
i love it so much it makes me want to read it again
December 4, 2013
A book my 6 yr old as well as my twin 3 yr olds loved. A solid reading level 1 book, this cute story keeps all ages engaged with the bright colorful pictures and cute story. A great addition to any children's library.
December 1, 2020
A Texan Tall Tale. Doesn't interest me much but I'm sure it does little boys.
February 4, 2019
The story of Pecos Bill is a tall tale in which a lost child is raised by coyotes and goes on all sorts of fantastical adventures throughout Texas. Pecos Bill can be grouped as a tall tale, displaying many of the genre elements of the category. The first genre element shown is the active use of hyperbole and exaggeration throughout the story. Events such as Bill chasing his horse Lightning through the Arctic Circle and to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, and Bill’s wife ‘Slewfoot Sue’ being bucked off of Lightning and traveling all the way to the moon are clear examples of drastic exaggerations adding a mystical element to the story. The second genre element shown is the idea of Pecos Bill, the Hell’s Gulch Gang, and the other characters throughout the story being a representative collective of old west cowboys, having invented several objects and activities associated with cowboys, such as lassos and rodeos over the course of the story.
Concerns about the reading of folklore stories in general come from fear of inappropriate aspects of these stories which may set a bad example for, or scare kids. In many of these stories, violence comes from a place of necessity in order to defeat the evil. In Pecos Bill, violence is used in a similar manner, but only rarely is violence actually utilized to drive the story. The event of Bill fighting the giant rattlesnake, which ends in Bill squeezing all of the venom out of him until he is long and skinny before using him as a lasso, is the most violence which happens in the story, as most other confrontations end in Bill befriending or non-violently taming the other adversaries he comes across. The lack of intense violence and even death in the story provide leeway for being used as a book for younger children without having to worry about the concerns associated with these types of books.
In a classroom I think Pecos Bill could easily be worked into the language arts curriculum for elementary students of various ages. For younger students, the book could be used to explain the concept of folktales and how they are used to share stories and ideas about where things came from. For older students, Pecos Bill could be used to teach the literary devices of exaggeration and hyperbole by demonstrating the way the book explains events/items and how they cannot occur in real life, and are instead used to show emphasis. Overall, I think Pecos Bill would be a useful tool in an elementary classroom.
Concerns about the reading of folklore stories in general come from fear of inappropriate aspects of these stories which may set a bad example for, or scare kids. In many of these stories, violence comes from a place of necessity in order to defeat the evil. In Pecos Bill, violence is used in a similar manner, but only rarely is violence actually utilized to drive the story. The event of Bill fighting the giant rattlesnake, which ends in Bill squeezing all of the venom out of him until he is long and skinny before using him as a lasso, is the most violence which happens in the story, as most other confrontations end in Bill befriending or non-violently taming the other adversaries he comes across. The lack of intense violence and even death in the story provide leeway for being used as a book for younger children without having to worry about the concerns associated with these types of books.
In a classroom I think Pecos Bill could easily be worked into the language arts curriculum for elementary students of various ages. For younger students, the book could be used to explain the concept of folktales and how they are used to share stories and ideas about where things came from. For older students, Pecos Bill could be used to teach the literary devices of exaggeration and hyperbole by demonstrating the way the book explains events/items and how they cannot occur in real life, and are instead used to show emphasis. Overall, I think Pecos Bill would be a useful tool in an elementary classroom.
April 16, 2019
Pecos Bill by Steven Kellogg is about a boy who was yanked off his carriage by a large fish as a child when his family was looking for a new homestead. He was taken in by a family of coyotes and lived as a coyote for a while. Then he ran into a Texan who taught him the ways of being a Texan. He dealt with a snake and this crazy mixed animal and lived to tell the tale, and he was respected by a group of men for that. Pecos Bill taught this group of men how to lasso texas cattle and they started a ranch. They lassoed all the texas cattle in Texas, and then Bill met a girl, and they got married after the girl stopped bouncing to outerspace, only by Bill lassoing a tornado and getting her back down. In the end, Bill finds his family again, and they all settle down at his ranch.
I give this story 3/5 stars. It was a little confusing and very random, and most of the things in it were honestly just too weird that I didn't really enjoy the book. Pecos Bill is definitely exceptional though, seeing that he squeezed all the venom out of the snake, tamed all of Texas' cattle and lassoed a tornado to get his fiance to stop bouncing back and forth from earth to space. Even so, it was a fun story and I am sure a lot of kids would love to hear the tale of Pecos Bill.
I give this story 3/5 stars. It was a little confusing and very random, and most of the things in it were honestly just too weird that I didn't really enjoy the book. Pecos Bill is definitely exceptional though, seeing that he squeezed all the venom out of the snake, tamed all of Texas' cattle and lassoed a tornado to get his fiance to stop bouncing back and forth from earth to space. Even so, it was a fun story and I am sure a lot of kids would love to hear the tale of Pecos Bill.
August 7, 2023
Steven Kellogg's telling of the American tall tale of Pecos Bill....
The story starts off to the reader on the copyright page with a small scene where the baby Pecos is feeding some bears his mama's honey and then proceeds to the next page where the actual story begins.
For young readers the writing is a bit heavy while including some dialect words that many have probably not heard before so I would most definitely recommend it to children who are in the upper grades of elementary school or above for a reading. And if they had seen any of The Jungle Book films I have a feeling that most who enjoy that will enjoy this book.
What really makes this book more so than the text and tall tale adaptation is basically the artwork. Pinkerton once more can be found in the pages if you look for him and the details are numerous in this brightly colored story whether it is seeing the monster lurking in his rocky burrow, viewing a similar rendition of Jimmy's Boa in the docile rattler or even the observing longhorn as they range the Texas wilderness between a few things.
All in all this is a decent telling for young readers who may want to learn about these American tall tale heroes before they vanish for good in our destructive society today....
The story starts off to the reader on the copyright page with a small scene where the baby Pecos is feeding some bears his mama's honey and then proceeds to the next page where the actual story begins.
For young readers the writing is a bit heavy while including some dialect words that many have probably not heard before so I would most definitely recommend it to children who are in the upper grades of elementary school or above for a reading. And if they had seen any of The Jungle Book films I have a feeling that most who enjoy that will enjoy this book.
What really makes this book more so than the text and tall tale adaptation is basically the artwork. Pinkerton once more can be found in the pages if you look for him and the details are numerous in this brightly colored story whether it is seeing the monster lurking in his rocky burrow, viewing a similar rendition of Jimmy's Boa in the docile rattler or even the observing longhorn as they range the Texas wilderness between a few things.
All in all this is a decent telling for young readers who may want to learn about these American tall tale heroes before they vanish for good in our destructive society today....
September 15, 2017
In this retelling of Pecos Bill the tale of how roping cattle and rodeos began is told. Bill, a young boy, is crossing the plains with his family in a covered wagon. After throwing out a fishing line while crossing the Pecos River, hence the name Pecos Bill, Bill is yanked overboard by an enormous fish. Carried downstream by the rushing river Bill is saved by a coyote who raises him in his coyote family. It’s not until Bill encounters a man and is convinced he is a human that he leaves his coyote family. Bills first encounter, with a larger than life rattlesnake, ends with Bill squeezing all the poison out of the snake until the snake is as thin as a rope. Within moments of this first encounter Bill is tackled by a beast as large as a grizzly bear, when he lassos the beast with the snake and wrestles him to the ground his reputation is set. Cattle roping had now been invented! This tale of a larger than life character tackling larger than life issues epitomizes the classic folktale. Rich in detail, elegant in nature, the colorful illustrations in this edition fill the page and entertain.
February 4, 2020
This is a delightfully illustrated picture book that tells the tale of Pecos Bill, a boy who was lost in the river as his family went west in search of a place to homestead. Bill was raised by coyotes and other animals until he was found by a cowboy who convinced him to become a rancher. Bill defeated several impossible critters and became leader of the Hell’s Gulch Gang. They quickly become the best ranchers in Texas. Bill meets Slewfoot Sue and the pair get married and are reunited with Bill’s family.
Teaching considerations: AR level 5.7, 0.5 points. Grades 1 – 3 as a read aloud, up to grade 6 when used as independent reading material. Steven Kellogg is a fabulous author and illustrator whose books are great to use for an author study. His illustrations are unique, yet his style is consistent. Once students learn a few of his books they can easily identify his other works just by viewing the illustrations. This particular fantasy story could be used as a story starter for children to make up their own mixed-up critters.
Teaching considerations: AR level 5.7, 0.5 points. Grades 1 – 3 as a read aloud, up to grade 6 when used as independent reading material. Steven Kellogg is a fabulous author and illustrator whose books are great to use for an author study. His illustrations are unique, yet his style is consistent. Once students learn a few of his books they can easily identify his other works just by viewing the illustrations. This particular fantasy story could be used as a story starter for children to make up their own mixed-up critters.
November 28, 2017
Set against the background of the American Old West, comes Pecos Bill – a tall tale retold and illustrated By Steven Kellogg. This book is a round-up of tall tales about Pecos Bill, an integral character in American mythology. Raised by coyotes, he used a rattle snake as a lasso, tackled a canyon creature, fought off Hell’s Gulch Gang, roped a giant bull, tamed and rode a horse named Lightning – the fastest, most beautiful horse in the world, and met and married Slew-Foot Sue. Illustrated in Kellogg’s signature style, Pecos Bill gives children an intro to the Old West through one of its most exciting figures. The book has a dynamic cover and a fun map on the end papers to trace Pecos Bill’s adventures.
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June 14, 2021"Pecos Bill" is a collection of tall tales that all happen to one boy, Pecos Bill. The stories center around how Pecos Bill becomes a "real Texan" by herding steers, fighting rattlesnakes, wrestling varmits, climbing a peak with the help of prairie dogs, and rescuing a rider named Sue. This story is the perfect example to use to illustrate tall tales for students because it is packed with a new tall tale on almost every page and otherwise no over-arching plot. Readers begin to know the Pecos Bill is renowned and can best any opponent. The story begins with Bill and his family leaving New England for space. Bill falls out of the covered wagon into a river and is raised by coyotes, which I thought was funny.
September 17, 2018
This a really fun and interesting tall tale. I think this would be really interesting to use in a classroom setting for older kids. I like the exaggeration through out the book because it would really get the kids thinking and using their imagination. The story itself is a little cheesy but I like that it would be a really good book to use as a break and for some fun in the classroom. I wish there was some more/better vocab words through out the book, but overall this is a good book. I also enjoyed that this book focuses on self-confidence and hard work. Both of these are very good lessons to teach elementary students as they are learning and growing.
May 12, 2021
Well, I definitely would not have read that book of my own free will, and I probably won't read it again. I really didn't like it. It is about the main character Pecos Bill and all his crazy adventures throughout his life. He gets raised by coyotes. He squeezes all the poison out of a python and then keeps the poor thing as a rope. He marries someone to rises out of the water on a catfish. It was just so absurd. I also felt like the story was all over the place and the transitions were very abrupted and unsynchronized. I really don't have any positives about this book. I also do not understand why my textbook recommends this as a folklore, definitely more of a tall tale.
September 6, 2023
Having grown up with the wolves, Pecos Bill is able to subdue every creature he encounters from a giant rattlesnake to a desert creature that is part grizzly, part puma, part gorilla, and part tarantula. He invents cattle roping and builds up the biggest herd ever.
Content: There is an illustration of Pecos Bill and another Texan in the water shirtless from the waste up (you don't see below that). The context of that illustration is that the Texan is telling Bill that Bill isn't a wolf but a Texan like him. Personally, the book could have done without that illustration, it just strikes me as odd.
Content: There is an illustration of Pecos Bill and another Texan in the water shirtless from the waste up (you don't see below that). The context of that illustration is that the Texan is telling Bill that Bill isn't a wolf but a Texan like him. Personally, the book could have done without that illustration, it just strikes me as odd.
November 1, 2021
Pecos Bill by Steven Kellogg is about a baby that fell out of a covered wagon and was found by a family of coyotes. These coyotes raise him as their own and teach him how to survive in the wild. He becomes the protector of the desert and saves people and his family. Just like Paul Bunyan, children would enjoy reading this text because it tells a great story that is also very interesting which keeps readers engaged.
December 6, 2021
This is a different sort of children's book. It is a western book that talks about Pecos Bill, the boy who was raised by wolves, once he grew up, he invented the idea of the lasso, and cowboys in Texas. It would be a fun story to read in a classroom, especially since western media and books are not as common nowadays. It would be fun for students to get a glimpse, while letting them know that the book is a tall tale.
September 14, 2017
I love the illustrations throughout the whole book. This tall tale is one I grew up knowing some but not the full story. I love the details and how well the illustrations tell the story. It also demonstrated what the western world looked like before more people settled in the area. For children who grew up in the mid west this story would be beneficial in demonstrating what the west is like and what people did in the past.
April 3, 2018
This was part of the traditional stories unit in El 230. I have never been a huge fan of traditional tales, but this one was entertaining! I had never heard it told before, so it was more intriguing to me.
October 24, 2018
Pecos Bill is a tall tale appropriate for grades 3-4. I have never heard this tale before and it is very interesting. Some of the elements in this story are very weird and very unrealistic. Although the book was interesting, it is not my favorite tale to read.
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November 30, 2020This is a western version of a tall tale and it has a lot of funny components that will entertain children. The book is very well illustrated and well written to be both challenging for younger readers while engaging and entertaining for older readers
October 6, 2023
It's like the jungle book but in a Texas setting and Bill becomes the famous cowboy of America where he can talk to wild animals with ease. Plus he gets the girl of his dreams and he is able to see his family again after ten years or so. That's all.
May 5, 2017
I really loved this book because it is super funny and I loved all the detail
May 5, 2017
I thought it was funny when he squeezed the snake
August 12, 2017
Not as solid as Paul Bunyan, but the art is still lights-out.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews