March 1, 2009
Grades 3-5 This entry in the Tales of Young Americansseries of historical picture books depicts an encounter between Minnow, a Native American girl living in a village by a river, and Rose, a pioneer girl traveling west in the mid-1800s. Upon first seeing each other, the girls keep their distance. Then Minnows father offers to help the pioneers cross the river, and duringthe wagons passage, Minnow rescues Rose when shefalls into the river. Later, the two celebrate their brief though rewarding meeting with handmade gifts. The descriptive, third-person narrative alternates between each girls story andincorporates details of everyday life, while the softly rendered, realistic paintings expressively depict the characters and events. Transitions between viewpoints are sometimes abrupt, and one visual spread of Rose struggling underwater may disturb some kids. Still, this is an appealing, child-centric story of communicating across language and culture and finding friendship despite differences. An introductory authors note provides some historical background.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)
July 1, 2009
In this idealized tale of westward expansion, two girls from different cultures--Native American Minnow and pioneer child Rose--meet at a river crossing. The two instantly feel a connection, and later, when Rose finds herself in trouble, Minnow is right there to save her. Painterly illustrations ably depict the time period but can't overcome the book's lack of tension and logical gaps.
(Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)