Sacagawea

by Lise Erdrich, Julie Buffalohead (Illustrator)

Overview

Taking a rare look beyond the myths and legends surrounding Sacagawea's life, this extraordinary illustrated history recounts the known facts about a remarkable woman and her contribution to one of America's greatest journeys of exploration.

Combining beautifully wrought oil paintings, a moving true story, and a unique larger format, Sacagawea will captivate readers of all ages. Kidnapped from her Shoshone tribe when she was just eleven or twelve, Sacagawea lived with her captors for four years before being given in marriage to a French Canadian fur trapper, Toussaint Charbonneau. With him, she served as interpreter, peacemaker, and guide for the Lewis and Clark Expedition to the Northwest in 1805-1806. Braving hunger and fierce blizzards, Sacagawea traveled thousands of miles with a baby on her back. By the end of the legendary journey, Sacagawea's steadfast courage and capable guidance had ensured her place in history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781728492995
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	01/01/2023
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	366,842
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.13(h) x 0.13(d)
Age Range:	8 - 9 Years

About the Author

Lisa Erdrich was born in Breckenridge, Minnesota, and grew up in North Dakota. She is a member of the Turtle Mountain band of Plains-Ojibway. In addition to being a writer, she has worked in Indian health and education for many years.

Julie Buffalohead began her art studies at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and received her MFA from Cornell University. Of Ponca heritage, she spent the majority of her time at Cornell researching the traditional artwork of Native American people. Buffalohead's work has been exhibited in galleries and museums across the United States. She lives in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Editorial Reviews

Erdrich (Bears Make Rock Soup and Other Stories), a member of the Turtle Mountain band of Plains-Ojibway, and newcomer Buffalohead, who is of Ponca heritage, retell the story of the famous Shoshone woman. For the most part, the text adheres to what is known of Sacagawea (principally from the journals of Lewis and Clark) and only rarely speculates on Sacagawea's feelings. Unfortunately, when Erdrich does try to extrapolate from other material, the writing sometimes strains for effect. For example, kidnapped from her tribe at the age of 11 or 12 by Hidatsa warriors, Sacagawea is said only to be "overwhelmed by the vast open space" and "astonish[ed]" at the Hidatsa earth-lodge village. When Erdrich turns to Hidatsa life, she writes of Sacagawea's pleasure in gardening (the Shoshone did not garden) and adds, in a rare and conspicuous metaphor, "The sunflower, friendly soul of the garden, brightened her days." Featuring earth tones, broad strokes and a grainy texture, Buffalohead's oil paintings impute more personality to Sacagawea (and to her growing infant son, Pomp), but the other characters' faces often seem indistinct. The most useful illustrations may be the occasional black-and-white spot art; these provide more detailed views of specific objects or moments mentioned in the text (e.g., Pomp's "cradleboard"; men hauling a canoe on a roughly built wagon). A timeline and map of the expedition's route are included. Ages 8-11. (Aug.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Gr 2-5-Kidnapped by Hidatsa warriors as a child and given in marriage as a teen to a French Canadian fur trapper, this young Shoshone woman played an incalculable role in American history. Erdrich acknowledges some gaps in what is known about Sacagawea, but her picture-book account is faithful to the historical record as she quickly sketches the young woman's origins and then focuses on her experiences with Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery. Sacagawea's story is tantalizing in its brevity and irony. Brought along as a secondary figure by her opportunist husband, she evidently saved the trip from ruin on several occasions. Little is known of her after the return home, except for the fact that she gave her young son over to Captain Clark's care within a few years' time and likely died not long thereafter. The text is sometimes wooden, but the author does a fine job of describing the setting and background of the group's impressive adventure. The richly hued, impressionistic paintings also create a good sense of time and place. An afterword mentions other speculations. This solid introduction to an intriguing woman should whet readers' appetites for more on this complex chapter of American history.-Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

Erdrich puts Sacagawea's story into perspective, clearly representing her importance to the success of the Lewis and Clark Exploration of Discovery. The lusciously colored oil paintings complement the tale, making it all the more creditable in their historic accuracy. Erdrich's narrative is both straightforward and lyrical-and always interesting. Both the foreword, discussing the oft-maligned spelling of Sacagawea, and the end note and timeline dealing with Sacagawea's life after the completion of her part in the voyage, help readers pull all of the other information about this brave and intelligent explorer into a cohesive whole with the events of the time. Absorbing, interesting, beautiful-with all the makings of a classic. (Picture book/biography. 6-12)

Kirkus Reviews

Erdrich’s biography looks beyond the usual folk lessons of the Shoshone interpreter and guide who was part of the Corps of Discovery. As a girl, she was captured by the Hidatsa/ Mandans, and later she shared her knowledge of the natural world and her people for the good of Lewis and Clark’s expedition. Jennifer Ikeda has a youthful and unpretentious voice and precise diction. Her pacing highlights crucial moments—such as negotiations for ponies with Sacagawea’s brother, a chief, and the displeasure with Charbonneau’s boatmanship—without sacrificing the general unfolding of the expedition. A slight wistfulness is evident at some moments, such as when Clark expresses his wish to educate Sacagawea’s child, Pompey. This production leaves the listener wanting to know more. A.R. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine

JUN/JUL 07 - AudioFile