Five minutes after his birth, Johnny Kaw is over six feet tall and still growing. When he outgrows his crib and even their town, his parents decide to move west where "little" Johnny can have plenty of room to play. After the family crosses the wide Missouri River to Kansas, Johnny sits down to play with his dog. His bottom ends up making the valley where his family will settle. And when Johnny clears stones from a field so his father can plow, he ends up creating the Rocky Mountains in the process. The legendary folk hero shapes the state's landscape by carving out valleys and creating prairies with his bare hands. Why, he even takes on a tornado when it threatens the family farm. Kansas native Devin Scillian spins a rollicking, rhyming yarn based on the tall tale of Johnny Kaw. Comedic, exaggerated artwork from artist Brad Sneed brings this character to BIG life. K-Gr 2-This folk hero is larger-than-life in every sense of the word. In an effort to find a farm big enough for their boy, who seems to "gain a pound every hour," the Kaw family heads westward. After crossing the Missouri River into what will become Kansas, the Kaws feel that they have found a home. In true tall-tale fashion, Johnny then clears the land by hand and thus creates the Rocky Mountains; stands up to and tames a cyclone with his scythe; and, with a single breath, plants "miles and miles" of wheat. Prairie life is sweet for the devoted family, but the passing of time brings the inevitable passing of Johnny's beloved mother. The story ends on a positive note, however, with Johnny acknowledging that her strong spirit will always be with him. The book is written in rhythmic prose that lends itself to read-alouds as well as independent reading. Sneed's full-color illustrations in his exaggerated style serve the tale well and showcase not only the humor but also its tenderness. The story should have broad appeal in the Sunflower State, but readers in the rest of the country will also enjoy getting acquainted with this gentle giant.-Sara-Jo Lupo Sites, George F. Johnson Memorial Library, Endicott, NYα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. Johnny Kaw, a Kansas “folk” hero (invented in the 1950s), gets his own tall tale here. Barefoot, flaxen haired, and growing up higher than the rolling hills in illustrator Sneed’s sinuous watercolors, Johnny clears fields (thus forming the Rocky Mountains) and seeds them all with one spit, slices the top from an enormous twister with his scythe, and finally, in a not particularly ecofriendly act, creates the great American prairie by ripping out all the trees—so that the sunset will always be visible from his beloved mother’s grave. Scillian relates these and other feats in rollicking verse: “He was born on a night when a stormy wind blew; / Five minutes old, already six feet two.” Observant readers may note a reference to a “white” porch swing that is a different color in the art, and they will search in vain for either a clear ending to Kaw’s epic tale or, for that matter, a source note. No matter: as a personification of our once-expansive American spirit, Kaw strides through the American landscape like Jerdine Nolen’s Big Jabe (2000), Anne Isaacs’ Swamp Angel (1994), and the rest of Paul Bunyan’s outsize progeny. Grades 1-3. --John Peters Devin Scillian is an award-winning author, broadcast journalist, and musician. He presently anchors the news for WDIV-TV in Detroit. He has traveled the world covering news stories from Sydney to Siberia. His school presentations have inspired countless children to think of themselves as not only readers, but writers as well. In addition to Memoirs of a Goldfish, Memoirs of a Hamster, Memoirs of an Elf, and Memoirs of a Parrot, Devin is also the author of numerous books for Sleeping Bear Press including the national bestseller A is for America: An American Alphabet. Devin lives in Michigan with his family. Find out more about Devin at www.devinscillian.com. Brad Sneed studied illustration at the University of Kansas. He has illustrated more than 20 picture books, including Mr. President Goes to School and Deputy Harvey and the Ant Cow Caper . He lives near Kansas City in Kansas.