Buffalo Song [Hardcover]

Joseph Bruchac (Author), Bill Farnsworth (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up

Hetcha hey Hetcha ho Hetcha hey yeh ho Walking Coyote gently lifted the frightened buffalo calf and sang softly. Lone survivor of a herd slaughtered by white hunters, the calf was one of several buffalo orphans Walking Coyote adopted and later raised on the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana.

For thousands of years massive herds of buffalo roamed across much of North America, but by the 1870s fewer than fifteen hundred animals remained. Hunted to the brink of extinction, the buffalo were in danger of vanishing. With reverent care, Walking Coyote and his family endeavored to bring back the buffalo herds, one magnificent creature at a time.

Here is the inspiring story of the first efforts to save the buffalo, an animal sacred to Native Americans and a powerful symbol of the American West. From the foresight and dedication of a few individuals such as Walking Coyote came the eventual survival of these majestic animals, one of the great success stories of endangered species rescue in United States history.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1–4—After quoting a traditional Salish story about the origins of buffalo on Earth, Bruchac describes how a Nez Perce boy and his father found an orphaned calf in 1873 in Montana and carried it to a friend who had a small herd. The story shifts, somewhat abruptly, to this man, a historical figure named Walking Coyote, who helped to save the species from extinction. With his wife and son, he led nine calves over the mountains to the Salish people. As the herd grew over the years, he finally found a landowner who agreed to keep it safe, making it possible for its descendants to thrive today. The gentle narrative eloquently conveys the beauty and importance of this animal; though there is a bit of adventure during the journey, the heart of the tale is the respect and commitment shown toward the buffalo by Walking Coyote and others. The orphaned calf became the herd's leader, and her courageous actions represent the spirit of the species. Richly atmospheric oil paintings capture the magnificence of the creatures, the kindness of the people, and the beauty of the surrounding landscapes. An afterword updates the fate of the buffalo, providing details of how this herd led to the successful growth in the later 1900s.—Steven Engelfried, Multnomah County Library, OR
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

For young conservationists, the rescue of the buffalo from the brink of extinction in the 1870s and 1880s is both a dark warning and an inspiration. Drawing on Indian history, this oversize picture book focuses on the essential role of one passionate rescuer, Walking Coyote, of the Salish nation, who struggles to raise orphaned buffalo calves until the endangered species finds safety. Partly fictionalized, the story begins with the only surviving calf of a herd destroyed by white hunters. Young Red Elk persuades his dad to take the calf to Walking Coyote’s shelter. Bruchac’s long, eloquent afterword fills in the facts of the near extinction and the people and organizations who prevented it, a story so dramatic, it didn’t need to be fictionalized. Farnsworth’s beautiful, full-bleed oil paintings picture a landscape black with buffalo, and then the calf with the people who help it grow strong enough to join the herd and roam free. Grades 1-3. --Hazel Rochman

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Lee & Low Books (March 30, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584302801
• ISBN-13: 978-1584302803
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 9.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,266,260 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Joseph Bruchac is a highly acclaimed Abenaki children's book author, poet, novelist and storyteller, as well as a scholar of Native American culture. Coauthor with Michael Caduto of the bestselling Keepers of the Earth series, Bruchac's poems, articles and stories have appeared in over 500 publications, from Akwesasne Notes and American Poetry Review to National Geographic and Parabola. He has authored more than 50 books for adults and children. For more information about Joseph, please visit his website www.josephbruchac.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rutgers University Project on Economics and Children, August 14, 2008

By 

Yana V. Rodgers "econkids.rutgers.edu" (New Brunswick, NJ) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Buffalo Song (Hardcover)

A confused, hungry, and frightened buffalo calf has lost her mother and the rest of her herd to white hunters. Rescued by two members of the Nez Perce tribe who happened to pass by and find her, she is taken to a small refuge for buffalo orphans started and run by Walking Cayote and his wife Mary. They nurse the calf back to health, and along with several other buffalo orphans, make the dangerous journey across a large mountain pass in order to deliver the buffalo to a larger sanctuary and pasture for grazing. The orphans ultimately wind up at the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana where, together with other buffalo that Walking Cayote and other like-minded individuals rescued, they prosper and grow into a herd of about seven hundred.

Based on actual events, this powerful story describes the successful efforts of Walking Cayote and Mary to help stop the endangerment of the buffalo. Walking Cayote and Mary share an undeniable bond with the buffalo they adopt, and they transform this compassion and respect for the animals into a courageous and long-term agenda to rescue them from extinction. Teachers and parents can use the book to teach valuable lessons in economics related to scarcity and natural resources. With stunning illustrations and text that draws on meticulous research, this book is a treasure.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Based on the wondrous true story of the first efforts made to save the buffalo, June 15, 2008

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Buffalo Song (Hardcover)

Buffalo Song is a children's picturebook based on the wondrous true story of the first efforts made to save the buffalo, an animal sacred to Native Americans that was almost hunted to extinction - by the 1870s less than fifteen hundred remained. Individuals such as Walking Coyote stepped forward to rescue buffalo orphans, and bring back the buffalo herds one animal at a time. Superbly brought to life with soft full-color illustrations, Buffalo Song carries a timeless message of conservation and respect, and is highly recommended for public library children's picturebook collections.