We used this book in my fourth grade classroom to present a puppet show. We made a back stop and the kids made puppets with various different features. We taped the story and as the tape played the puppets performed. Very cute, multi-cultural, and the kids had a blast!

I found this to be a sweet touching book. My 6 year old daughter enjoys the story and it allows us to discuss values such as generosity and perserverance. It is important for children to look at themselves as contributing members of their families. This book also talks about the importance of community. These issues are rarely discussed in children's books today. Readers should be aware there is a fire in the story (no one is hurt), but younger children might be upset by it.

A legend about a boy who falls out of his family wagon as they are crossing the country. He is forced to raise himself in the wide open west and learn how to protect his life.
This was an ok book from my point of view. The illustrations were amazing they really kept my attention. However, the writing was nothing too spectacular. The story of Pecos Bill is one of adventure and I just didn't feel like this version of the story captured the really adventure of the legend. This book sends the message of standing up for yourself and never giving up on your dream. I think it did a good job of getting the message across and my second graders knew what the message was as soon as a closed the book.

This mild, but event-filled re-telling of the Pecos Bill story lacks the incorrigible air of tongue-in-cheek humour and bold-faced lies of the typical tall tale. However, and especially if your young`uns never heard a tall tale, the wonderful illustrations will partially make up for this. When we started to read this book, we thought those sweet-faced, round-eyed, snub-nosed cowboys looked a little familiar: this guy is the same feller who illustrated HOW MUCH IS A MILLION? which we like alot. My boys love the snake lasso, and we return many times to the fantastic "critter" that Bill wrassles into submission. But breaking-in "Widder-maker" is an let-down after that adventure, I am afraid. I recommend Adrien Stoutenburg`s AMERICAN TALL TALES for older children (9-12yrs) which has few illustrations but whose style is far better suited to the dramatic and poetic nature of the tall tale genre. My seven-year old loves to hear me read those aloud.