A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year In August 1862, after suffering decades of hardship, broken treaties, and relentless encroachment on their land, the Dakota leader Little Crow reluctantly agreed that his people must go to war. After six weeks of fighting, the uprising was smashed, thousands of Indians were taken prisoner by the US army, and 303 Dakotas were sentenced to death. President Lincoln, embroiled in the most devastating period of the Civil War, personally intervened to save the lives of 265 of the condemned men, but in the end, 38 Dakota men would be hanged in the largest government-sanctioned execution in U.S. history. Writing with uncommon immediacy and insight, Scott W. Berg details these events within the larger context of the Civil War, the history of the Dakota people and the subsequent United States–Indian wars, and brings to life this overlooked but seminal moment in American history.
Combining unfussy, gently rhyming language with vibrant, airy illustrations, Caldecott Medalist Chris Raschka has created a book that will inspire in young readers the wonder of wondering. A little boy wonders about a crow’s life—from the simple “Where do you go in the cold white snow?” to the not-so-simple “Do you ever worry when you hop and you hurry? Are you ever afraid of mistakes you made? Are you never afraid?” All of life is touched on in simple words and spare, elegant artwork. Little Black Crow is not to be missed.
After being abandoned by his animal friends, Little John Crow must come to terms with what it means to be part of a community when you are a vulture. "Little John Crow is full of energy and color." —People Magazine "A new children’s book by [Ziggy Marley] and his wife, Orly, aims to educate youth on the threats the birds face and the vital ecological role they play." —Audubon Magazine Little John Crow is a young vulture growing up in Bull Bay on the edge of the Blue Mountains in Jamaica, where he lives with his loving parents Sharil and Rusil Crow. He spends his days playing with his friends, a motley group that includes a snake, George; Missy, the French pigeon; Chiqueen, a chicken hawk; Hummy, the hummingbird; and the Three Little Birds. One morning while the group of friends is relaxing by a cool river, they start chatting about life, their parents' jobs, and what they want to be when they grow up. As the conversation continues, Little John Crow realizes he has no idea what his parents do for work. Little John Crow and his friends set out to solve this mystery, but what they discover shocks them—Little John Crow and his vulture parents are scary scavengers! Most of his friends are disgusted when they learn this, and before Little John Crow can even adjust to this news, a terrible tragedy strikes. Feeling lonely and isolated from his friends, the young vulture flees Bull Bay. After traveling for days, a tired and hungry Little John Crow is fortunate to be found by a group of vultures. With their support and encouragement, the young vulture learns to embrace his future, and after months away, he returns to Bull Bay just in the nick of time to save his home from ruin. Filled with humor and memorable characters, Little John Crow reminds us of the importance of accepting our differences and remembering that life offers a place and purpose for all of us.
This edition of A Thrilling Narrative of Indian Captivity rescues from obscurity a crucially important work about the bitterly contested U.S.-Dakota War of 1862. Written by Mary Butler Renville, an Anglo woman, with the assistance of her Dakota husband, John Baptiste Renville, A Thrilling Narrative was printed only once as a book in 1863 and has not been republished since. The work details the Renvilles’ experiences as “captives” among their Dakota kin in the Upper Camp and chronicles the story of the Dakota Peace Party. Their sympathetic portrayal of those who opposed the war in 1862 combats the stereotypical view that most Dakotas supported it and illumines the injustice of their exile from Dakota homelands. From the authors’ unique perspective as an interracial couple, they paint a complex picture of race, gender, and class relations on successive midwestern frontiers. As the state of Minnesota commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Dakota War, this narrative provides fresh insights into the most controversial event in the region’s history. This annotated edition includes groundbreaking historical and literary contexts for the text and a first-time collection of extant Dakota correspondence with authorities during the war.
With a rhyming text that rolls off the tongue accompanied by beautiful illustrations, this book follows Little Owl on a magical night filled with shooting stars. As other animals settle down to sleep, Little Owl swoops around the sky, blowing out the stars to make way for the arrival of the sun and a new morning. When the other animals stir from their beds, it’s time for Little Owl to fly home to get some sleep.
There are more crows now than ever. Their abundance is both an indicator of ecological imbalance and a generous opportunity to connect with the animal world. Crow Planet reminds us that we do not need to head to faraway places to encounter "nature." Rather, even in the suburbs and cities where we live we are surrounded by wild life such as crows, and through observing them we can enhance our appreciation of the world's natural order. Crow Planet richly weaves Haupt's own "crow stories" as well as scientific and scholarly research and the history and mythology of crows, culminating in a book that is sure to make readers see the world around them in a very different way.