Mike Fink, the larger-than-life hero of one of America's favorite tall tales, was the most daring and rugged frontiersman on any American river. A runaway at two days old, Mike eventually grew up to be King of the Keelboatmen--the strong, rowdy men who floated cargo downriver to New Orleans and poled their heavy boats back against the current. But first he became a crackerjack marksman with his gun, Bang All, then grappled with grizzlies, and defeated Jack Carpenter, the reigning Keelboat King, in an epic wrestling match. No man, alligator, or snapping turtle could outdo the mighty Mike Fink-that is, until Hilton P. Blathersby and his powerful smoke-spewing steamboat came along! In zesty prose and exuberant, richly colored pictures, Steven Kellogg captures all the fun and adventure of America's most famous ring-tailed roarer and river wrestler.
Mike Fink is one of America's favorite frontiersmen and larger-than-life heroes. A runaway at two days old, Mike grew up to be King of the Keelboatmen--the strong, rowdy men who floated cargo downriver to New Orleans and poled their heavy boats back against the current. But first he had to plow fields like an ox, fight a few grizzlies, and defeat Jack Carpenter in a wrestling match. Full-color illustrations.One of the tall tales in the series that began with Paul Bunyan, this merry book features Fink, grizzly-bear wrestler and King of the Mississippi River Keelboatmen. "Kellogg's antic style is as engaging as ever," said PW. All ages. (May)
Kellogg splashes his customary exuberance across this latest tall tale in the series that includes Paul Bunyan and Pecos Bill. Beginning with the infant Mike running off to join a troupe of acrobatic frogs, the story plays up the childhood exploits of the boy who was to become the King of the Mississippi River Keelboatmen. Dragged back to his family, the ``sturdy and quick'' Mike takes the place of their deceased ox when plowing. Later, ``wrestling with the grizzlies'' hones his physical prowess and prepares him for the rowdy river life. The intrepid hero eventually triumphs over a steam-driven paddle boat in a no-holds-barred, John Henry-like battle. Kellogg's antic style is as engaging as ever, from the charmingly frog-faced hero to the drama and detail crammed into every illustration. Though this is a cleaned-up version of Mike Fink's part-real, part-legend life, it provides a merry introduction to a mythic 19th-century American figure. All ages. (Sept.) Copyright 1992 Cahners Business Information.
K-Gr 4-- Kellogg retells some of the many legends about the rough and tumble keelboatman's younger days. He captures the energy and largeness of this tall-tale hero through the use of vernacular speech and in illustrations that can never quite contain the action within their borders. This version steers away from the negative stereotyping of women and American Indians that crop up in older tellings. Another hit in a series that does a wonderful job of introducing young children to America's folklore heroes.-- Karen K. Radtke, Milwaukee Public Library Copyright 1992 Cahners Business Information.
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