GIB MORGAN, OILMAN

by Ariane Dewey ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 16, 1987

A prolific author-artist takes on another of America's tall-tale heroes--the relatively unfamiliar oilman's answer to Paul Bunyan. From the discovery of oil in Titusville, Pa., in 1859, Gib Morgan is in on the action--smelling out oilfields, building rigs single-handedly, drilling in such unlikely places as Pike's Peak. He acquires a super-long horse, Torpedo, to transport him from one site to another. Some of the incidents are merely setups for one-liners; some are derivative (the huge griddle for the crew's pancakes; the giant mosquitoes lifting a tank). Most novel are the huge black spout that lifts Gib skyward and the boa constrictor pipeline extended by shedding its own skin, but these are tame by comparison with some of the inventions of our more irrepressible heroes. An author's note states that Morgan was a historical figure famous for his tales, to which she has added incidents attributed to imaginary characters. The bold illustrations are in the comic spirit of the stories. With its easy text, this should be approachable by either young readers or older slow readers; useful for rounding out tall-tale collections.

Pub Date: March 16, 1987

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 48

Publisher: Greenwillow

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1987

Categories: CHILDREN'S