Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind Crockett

Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind Crockett

By Steven Kellogg

Morrow Junior Books

Copyright 1995

pp.39

Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind Crockett

Traditional Literature

     This American folktale is retold and illustrated by Steven Kellogg. Mr. Kellogg combined several of the adventures of Davy Crockett’s wife from the almanac adventure entitled A Perilous Situation of Mrs. Crockett to form his tall tale. Like all tall tales, this beautifully illustrated picture book is full of exaggerations, super human abilities, and descriptive language. I enjoyed many of Sally Ann’s early accomplishments. Being a parent, it would have been wonderful to have a baby that could achieve remarkable success on the day she was born, especially the talking part.  It certainly would have made life so much easier.

       Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind is the tenth child of a couple who already has nine sons. When Sally Ann is born, she can immediately speak, run, swim, and hold her breath under water for over an hour. She instantly earns the respect and devotion of her nine brothers. What an entrance!  I am sure most students will appreciate and connect to these exaggerations. Sally Ann decides she is a grown up and leaves home at the age ripe old age of eight. She has several more unbelievable adventures including a rather funny way of dealing with a ferocious grizzly bear. Over the years Sally Ann grows tired of living alone and happens upon a handsome stranger stuck between two trees.  As she helps him escape his dire situation, she blasts the color off an eagle’s head and invents bald eagles. The handsome stranger turns out to be her future husband, Davy Crockett. They immediately fall in love and settle down.

     During next part of the tale Davy leaves for Congress, and Sally Ann is left to fend off an attack by gang of alligators. She defeats them in typical Sally Ann fashion by whipping up a tornado, which then rained alligators throughout a good portion of the United States. I believe that during this part of the story it would be helpful for the students to have some prior knowledge of Davy Crockett, so I would probably introduce his character prior to reading this book.

     With wonderful use of vivid language and illustrations, Steven Kellogg has crafted a humorous fantasy about life during the American Frontier that is sure to appeal to a wide variety of school aged children. I know I often found myself chuckling and smiling as I read many of the pages.