Review by Booklist Review
Ages 5-8. A welcome companion to Paul Bunyan (Booklist 81:368 N 1 84) Kellogg's earlier work based on an American folk hero this latest picture book engagingly re-creates some of the legends of Pecos Bill, as remembered and researched by the artist. Kellogg's lively visual humor is well in tune with the material. While the illustrations never overwhelm the well-paced text, he happily and liberally uses the spirit of carefree, deadpan exaggeration, which is the hallmark of the tall tale. From the double-page epic view of thousands of steers herded across the plains to the sublimely ridiculous scenes of Bill's spunky bride, Slewfoot Sue, bouncing wildly on her wedding dress' bustle, hurtling back and forth between Texas and the moon, the richly colored illustrations are well conceived and deftly drawn. A read-aloud treat for the family or classroom, this is one of Kellogg's best, and that is very good indeed. CP. 398.2'2 Pecos Bill (Legendary character) / Folklore U.S. / Tall tales [CIP] 86-784
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A rootin'-tootin' hero of ``the rugged pioneer days'' comes to glorious life in Kellogg's characteristically antic prose and pictures. Ages 5-up. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS Up The anecdotes associated with Texas' fabled cowboy hero burst from the pages in rapid succession, Kellogg's robust illustrations enlarging and enriching the choppy, energetic text that is seasoned with Texan expressions. In dramatizing Pecos Bill's life story, Kellogg also conveys a sense of place, of the rugged, expansive physical beauty of the American West in pioneer days. Yellow-oranges and blues dominate the scenes, in tones that range from dust-pale to midnight blue. Skillful framing and alternating of perspectives enhance readers' involvement: vast panoramas in which people are dwarfed by endless stretches of land and sky; double-page spreads cluttered with close-up action; breathtaking overviews, as of a tremendous herd of cattle, each steer made distinct, yet part of a near-monochromatic blend of hazy light and animal landscape. In contrast to these lavish illustrations are neatly-boxed illustrations that parallel the text, sometimes spilling from the frames when the action simply can't be contained. Kellogg's style is ideally suited to this tall taleantic, detailed, colorful, hyperbolic. Susan Powers, Berkeley Carroll Street Sch . , Brooklyn (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A wonderful welcome back to Pecos Bill! This exuberant introduction to the tall-tale Texas superhero will delight picture-book age children and older readers alike. Running naked and baying at the moon, Bill is being raised by coyotes. He cavorts with bighorn sheep and wrestles a giant rattlesnake until he squeezes out every drop of venom, ""leaving it skinny as a rope and mild as a goldfish."" He also tackles a critter who's part grizzly, part puma, part gorilla, and part tarantula, revolutionizes ranching, and acquires a feisty wife, Slewfoot Sue. The illustrations here are Kellogg at his best, finely detailed, full of humor and action yet including scenes of real beauty, especially in some of the Western panoramas. All in all, a splendid, rambunctious celebration of Pecos Bill and the wild and woolly West he tamed. Bravo! Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
