Army Camels: Texas Ships of the Desert

by Doris Fisher, Julie Buckner (Illustrator)

Overview

Did you know that camels were imported to Texas to serve the U.S. Army in the 1850s? They carried supplies and mail to isolated forts and settlers. Young readers will be fascinated to learn of this little-known part of American history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781455624386
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	09/11/2018
Pages:	34
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.10(d)
Age Range:	3 - 8 Years

About the Author

Doris Fisher is a retired kindergarten teacher working as a children's writer. She has published several children's picture books and is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Spending her time creating children's activities and visiting local schools, she lives in Kingwood, Texas.

Editorial Reviews

11/01/2013
K-Gr 3—For those who love history's footnotes, this brief volume addresses a little-known moment in U.S. history when camels reveled in the Texas climate, transporting messages and serving as pack animals. A valuable temporary addition to the U.S. Army, they were later sold after the Civil War for only $31 each. Scenes of the 34 animals are combined with a bit of fictionalized dialogue and incidents during their introduction to a new life in Texas. As part of the U.S. Camel Experiment, the animals survived a rough crossing at sea, ate a cactus retaining fence, frightened dogs and horses, and gave a public display of their amazing strength. Mixed-media illustrations that include insert maps track the camels to their eventual Central Texas home in Camp Verde. A spread showing the animals crossing the dry grasslands evokes a desertlike image with a line of camels accentuated only by cactus and the cowboy-hat profile of one of the riders. An author's note that relates details of the camels brought to Texas in 1856 brings pre-Civil War growth and settlement of the Lone Star State to life.—Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano ISD, TX

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