The Gift of the Great Buffalo

K-Gr 3–As the title suggests, this story depicts the Métis on a buffalo hunt. After several days with no success, Rose follows her pa when he sets out early in the morning. She rides her horse all day long, even worrying about losing her way back to camp. When Rose eventually finds buffalo, she leads the men from camp to them. Because she disobeyed her pa about joining him on the hunt, Rose is assigned her least favorite task of tanning the hide. The illustrator uses watercolor and graphite to complement the story. The pictures provide realistic views of camp and show the true meaning of ideas such as the “iron horse” with a full-page drawing of a train. Lindstrom, an enrolled citizen of the Ojibwe and Métis, states in her author’s note that this is her version of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s “Little House” books. The story is written with a similar style and fits into the same time period, building an authentic picture of life in 1880s America.