Davy Crockett Saves the World
By Rosalyn Schanzer
Harper Collins Publishers, 2001
29 pages
Historical Fiction
Davy Crockett Saves the World is an amusing book that tells of one of the adventures of Davy Crockett, a woodsman who combed his hair with a rake, shaved his beard with an axe, and ran so fast the trees stepped out of his way to keep from getting knocked down. One day some scientists discover Halley's comet was hurling itself lickety- split straight toward America. The President received lots of letters of concern and decided to put an ad in the paper for Davy Crockett, a man he had heard was very brave. But Davy never read the paper, he was to busy with his pet bear, Death Hug, trying to learn how to dance to impress a real purty girl named Sally Sugartree. Now Sally was not just purty, she was smart. She saw that ad in the paper and told Davy who ran off to save the world. Davy ate a big plate of rattlesnake brains fried by lightning for energy and climbed to the top of Eagle Eye Peak in the Great Smoky Mountains where he could see every state, river and mountain in a geography book. He caught the comet by the tail and wrestled him into the Atlantic Ocean where the steamed up the globe. Davy put out the fire in Halley's tail and hurled him back into outer space. Davy was a hero and won the heart of Mrs. Sally Sugartree. Of course, that comet singed the hair right off Davy's head and it grew back in tufts like grass so hard he broke his rakes when combing it. Ever since that day, Davy has worn a coonskin cap.
Schanzer based this book off the comic almanacs of Davy Crockett written from 1835-1855 and uses events and phrases found in those stories of long ago. The illustrations and text phrases made me long for my home-land, Tennessee, where Davy Crockett and the author originated. Schanzer's illustrations are humorous and full of life. The story will keep you smiling for days.
I would use this book in my classroom when talking about comets, Davy Crockett, or Tennessee. I would also use it when teaching students about similes and metaphors. This book is definitely a must have for any classroom, especially those that have a great imagination and a sense of humor!
