Customer Reviews

Buffalo Music

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Having camped and hiked Palo Duro Canyon tin Texas in the late 1950s and early 1960, and being particularly fond of Buffalo, I enjoyed this little tale, based on true fact, quite a lot. The story was inspired by the work and life of Mary Ann Goodnight and takes place in the 1800s.
As with all of the American West, as settlers moved in, as towns were built and as normal human greed raised its ugly head, the buffalo went he way of so many things in our country; they were almost completely destroyed. The area known as the Texas Panhandle was not different. The buffalo were hunted for their hides, and later, their bones in order to make fertilizer.

This is the story of a young rancher's wife who had an affinity for wild things; loved hearing the noises of the buffalo herds as they passed and listed as she worked and did the backbreaking work common in those days off all ranch wives. Finally the day came, after only a very few short years of continual slaughter, and the buffalo were gone. A cowhand found two half starved buffalo calves and brought them to the young wife as he knew of her love for wild things.

Mrs. Goodnight raised these two calves; along with a number of others that were found and started one of the original captive herds (I believe there were only three or four in the entire country. Later, as her herd increased she sent some to Yellow Stone Park and other National Wild Life Refuges, and thereby helped reestablish this truly American animal and rescued it from complete extinction. Many of the descendants of this small herd still exist today.

The author has done a very nice job of documenting, in fictional form, the work of Molly and captured the feeling of the country and this little book is quite inspirational in nature. This makes a wonderful read for a classroom of children and opens the door for many good discussions. The writing is very well done and the art work is excellent.

This is a nice addition to any school library or child's library and I do recommend it highly.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

Among the early settlers along the rim of Texas's Palo Duro Canyon in the 1800s, Molly and her husband Charlie worked hard on their homestead. As she worked, Molly found comfort in the sounds of the buffalo that roamed abundantly in the surrounding prairie. Life changed drastically, however, when buffalo hunters decimated the local herd, leaving but a few orphaned calves to fend for themselves. Determined to nurse the calves back to health, Molly soon found herself caring for more calves that cowhands had rounded up all over the Panhandle. The captive herd that she and Charlie tended grew, and they wound up shipping four buffalo to Yellowstone National Park as it rebuilt its own buffalo herd.

Based on the true story of Mary Ann and Charles Goodnight, this informative work of historical fiction makes an excellent vehicle for teaching children about wildlife preservation. Books such as Buffalo Music can teach young children about the economic rationale behind buffalo hunting and some of the key individuals who saved the buffalo from extinction.

Molly, based upon the real-life pioneer, Mary Ann Goodnight, in Palo Duro Canyon, West Texas, lived to the tune of buffalo music, until buffalo hunters decimated the population to near extinction. Then, buffalo music was no more. Finding two buffalo calves, Calico and Chester, by her home, Molly nursed them to health and started a herd of her own. When Yellowstone National Park started to rebuild its buffalo herd, Molly loaded the boxcar with buffalo. Buffalo music played on. Children ages 6-9 will engage with this historical fiction account of the American Frontier.

Molly is a frontier settler in Texas living in the 1800's. She loves to work and watch the herds of buffalo nearby. As time passes she notices that the herds are starting to die off. Poaches and wolves are to blame. Molly takes it upon herself to help the buffalo. She takes in stray and orphans and starts her own herd.

The author's note includes websites and book suggestions for learning more about buffalo. This would make a great tie in book while learning about westward expansion.