November 1, 2017
PreS-Gr 1-In this series, the narratives are sparse and often imprecise. Sensitive subject matter is portrayed with a broad brush and generally seems to favor an Anglo perspective; for instance, in Crazy Horse: "Gold was found on Lakota land. The settlers wanted the gold." In Sequoyah, Strand does admirably condense the story of Sequoyah's invention of the Cherokee writing system as a tool for independence. The series' main strength is in its vibrant images, composed of paintings, etchings, and individual photographs (where possible), as well as contemporary photos of historic reconstructions and statues and intriguing cameo portraits superimposed on landscape photos. Back matter includes brief "Quick Stats" and "Key Dates" sections. There are no sources cited. VERDICT An additional selection for libraries serving primary grades.
Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
January 1, 2018
These starter biographies offer brief descriptions (with one to three sentences per page) about important Native American figures; historical art and photos as well as contemporary scenic photos accompany the sparse texts. Only very cursory details about each subject is offered, but the series may serve as an adequate introduction for younger readers. Lists of quick stats and key dates are appended. Glos., ind.
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