Tall Stories

Andi is short. And she has lots of wishes. She wishes she could play on the school basketball team, she wishes for her own bedroom, but most of all she wishes that her long-lost half-brother, Bernardo, could come and live in London where he belongs. Then Andi's biggest wish comes true and she's minutes away from becoming someone's little sister. As she waits anxiously for Bernardo to arrive from the Philippines, she hopes he'll turn out to be tall and just as crazy as she is about basketball. When he finally arrives, he's tall all right. Eight feet tall, in fact—plagued by condition called Gigantism and troubled by secrets that he believes led to his phenomenal growth. In a novel packed with quirkiness and humor, Gourlay explores a touching sibling relationship and the clash of two very different cultures.

Andy Jackson's death in December 2004 robbed the Scottish outdoor scene of an extraordinary personality. In this celebration of a truly inspirational life we follow Andy on kayaking adventures in Norway, Nepal, New Zealand, the USA, Canada, Iceland, Turkey, Chile and of course his native Scotland. Stories and articles from Andy himself, his friends and family recount his adventures with all the joie de vivre he showed; as a campaigner, kayaker, skier and paraglider. From his scrapes with the 'Polis' and authorities to his worldwide catalogue of first descents. Above all Andy will be remembered for his ability to befriend and inspire everyone he met.

These funny tall tales are anything but true. This classic collection of homespun humor as told by the two men on the Liar’s Bench in Seldon’s Barbershop amuses and sometimes astounds the other occupant of the barbershop, Jason Wells. You will laugh at the hilarious tales spun by the rascals on the liar’s bench. tall tale, hilarious, funny fiction, humor, collection, tall story

Warning! Strange things happen in The Giraffe Tree and Other Tall Stories. Do you know what to do if the evil Investigator Black from the Ministry of Birthdays invites himself to your party? Or what you must definitely not do if you are locked in a library overnight? Or what to do if you are a garden gnome who has lost his garden. Or how to save yourself if you are a helpless snail about to be eaten by a thrush? And who should you trust if you are sold as a slave? You can find out the unexpected answers in these stories which Eric Johns has gathered together because they are all very strange and get on well together. Also, how does a giraffe become a tree?

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.

A special book and CD edition of the bestselling The Gruffalo."A mouse took a stroll through the deep dark wood. A fox saw the mouse and the mouse looked good."Walk further into the deep dark wood, and discover what happens when a quick-witted mouse comes face to face with an owl, a snake . . . and a hungry Gruffalo!Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler's The Gruffalo is an undisputed modern classic and has become a best-selling phenomenon across the world with over 13.5 million copies sold. This award-winning rhyming story of a mouse and a monster has found its way into the hearts and bedtimes of an entire generation of children and will undoubtedly continue to enchant children for years and years to come. No home should be without The Gruffalo! The Gruffalo Book and CD Pack features the classic story with a stunning redesigned cover and finish, and a story CD read aloud by actress Imelda Staunton, making it a must-have addition to the bookshelves of all Donaldson and Scheffler fans - big and small!Other available book and CD packs with redesigned covers are The Gruffalo's Child, Room on the Broom, The Snail and the Whale, The Smartest Giant in Town, Monkey Puzzle, Charlie Cook's Favourite Book, and A Squash and a Squeeze.

To Carolyn Brown s mind, the tall tale is not necessarily an account of the adventures of a larger-than-life hero, nor is it just a humorous first-person narrative exaggerated to outlandish proportions. It is as well an interaction between teller and audience a game played at the hazy border between the credible and the incredible, a challenge and an entertainment at the same time. The tall tale is also a social statement that identifies and binds a folk group by flaunting the peculiar knowledge and experiences of group members, and it is a tool for coping with a stressful or even chaotic world, for conquering life s problems by laughing at them.