The fabled hero of cattle country tames a tornado and turns it into an obedient breeze.

(M) Did you ever wonder how Death Valley was formed? We have Pecos Bill to thank. When Bill was young, he became a cowboy. He had some fine skills. Find out how those skills helped form Death Valley.

The perfect addition to every family’s home library and just right for sharing aloud, American Tall Tales introduces readers to America’s first folk heroes in nine wildly exaggerated and downright funny stories. Here are Paul Bunyan, that king-sized lumberjack who could fell “ten white pines with a single swing”; John Henry, with his mighty hammer; Mose, old New York’s biggest, bravest fireman; Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind, who could “outgrin, outsnort, outrun, outlift, outsneeze, outsleep, outlie any varmint”; and other uniquely American characters, together in one superb collection. In the tradition of the original nineteenth-century storytellers, Mary Pope Osborne compiles, edits, and adds her own two cents’ worth—and also supplies fascinating historical headnotes. Michael McCurdy’s robust colored wood engravings recall an earlier time, perfectly capturing all the vitality of the men and women who carved a new country out of the North American wilderness.

In this tall tale, readers learn all about an American hero. Pecos Bill was an extremely strong boy who was accidentally separated from his parents at a young age. He was found and raised by coyotes in the wild, where he lived for fifteen years. Eventually, a cowboy found him and brought him to civilization, where Bill outsmarted outlaws from the Wild West and tamed the wildest of horses. But that was nothing compared to the adventure during which he lassoed a twisting tornado and rode it like a wild bronco!

Relates some of the legends of Pecos Bill, from the moment he bounced out of his family's covered wagon to the day his long-lost brother appears and explains that Bill is not like the coyotes that have raised him.

"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.

Relates the remarkable exploits of legendary hero Pecos Bill, who was raised by coyotes, lassoed a tornado, and wrestled the Loch Ness monster.