Paul Bunyan, a tall tale

Ages 5^-9. With clever, extravagantly detailed pictures and an effervescent text, this splendid retelling of the life of the legendary American woodsman deserves its place as one of children's favorites.

Paul Bunyan à la Steven Kellogg is a boisterous melee of corny cartoon imagery--but given the dubious origins of these tall tales, that's not something to he purist about. True, Kellogg slides over into present-day burlesque--the ""kitchen helpers"" who grease Paul's giant flapjack griddle are kid hockey-players wielding mops and brooms--and the tales' exaggeration tends to get lost in the general uproar. But as a condensed version of the giant woodsman's life--frenetic from his oversize birth onward--this would probably amuse youngsters with its pictorial prodigies until they're ready to hear the stories that are heaped together here. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.