Miss Sally Anne and the Panther
Written by Bobbie Miller
Illustrated by Megan Lloyd
Miss Sally Ann can rope a hurricane and tie it to her spinning wheel. She can knit in one hand and bake buttermilk bread with the other. But her biggest challenge is to face Fireeyes, a huge panther determined to have Miss Sally Ann’s bear skin coat for his aching shoulders. While she gathers onions for her stew, he comes eye to eye with her. She sets her mind to getting his skin to cover her aching feet. They get in a tussle fit for a, well, tall tale. The panther knocks down a stand of trees with his tail. Miss Sally Ann grabs him by the tail and tosses him in the briar patch. She jumps on his back and he bounces high enough for her to gather eggs from an eagle’s nest. Neither one is willing to give in. What else can they do but be friends? Miss Sally Ann removes the briars from the panther’s paws and Fireeyes’ eyes light the way through the forest. Once home, Fireeyes lays on her feet to keep them warm and Miss Sally Ann puts her bear coat around his shoulders.
A fun romp that has a satisfying ending that is perfect for those tall tale units. It has just enough text to be a good read aloud with illustrations that are energetic and carry a lot of tall tale humor. I love the page where Miss Sally Ann and Fireeyes smile at each other. Students can make their own literacy worksheet by listing all the exaggerations in the story. Thanks to the fourth grade reading level, students could make their own audio book or book trailer as literacy activities.
