Dakota Dugout [Hardcover]

Ann Turner (Author), Ronald Himler (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1985

"A tall, vigorous woman describes her experiences as a young bride living in a sod house on the Dakota prairie . . . The spare text . . . is perfectly attuned to the splendid black-and-white drawings. A rich experience for a young audience . . . A superb complement to the social studies curriculum in the early grades."--The Horn Book. ALA Notable Children's Book.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6 Up A wispy mood piece with its own unity and effect without comparison to the treatment of the same topic as Wilder's On the Banks of Plum Creek (Harper, 1953). Though Dakota is named in the title, the limited action could take place in any of the Plains states or in any long valleys of the West. Himler's sketches are realistic with a touch of ethereal nostalgia; they give substance to the verse-by-verse account of a young wife's prairie life in the last century. Because of vocabulary and concepts, this picture book is more for older readers than for children. The jacket blurb states that "A woman tells her granddaughter" about life of long ago; however, neither Turner nor Himler even hints at a prairie baby. George Gleason, Department of English, Southwest Missouri State University, Springfield
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (September 1, 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0027897001
• ISBN-13: 978-0027897005
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,217,465 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I was born in a small town in Western Massachusetts to creative parents who always encouraged my writing and painting. I went to Bates College, majored in English, and spent a wonderful year abroad in Oxford, England, giving me a taste for neat Scotch, Evensong, and very old churches and buildings. I've been married long enough to break all records and have two grown children. I am especially drawn to telling stories about outsiders, rebellious girls, and people who don't fit in--as I didn't growing up. I was always a bit too loud, too passionate, moved too fast, made up too many stories, and thought that life moved just a tad too slowly for me. I love to cook, garden, swim, pet my wild Jack Russell terrier, talk to friends and my "kids," and laugh at my husband's wild, original stories. I also actually answer letters and emails sent to me by fans, and when I do school visits, I tell people--"Don't ever let anyone tell you you can't do it!"

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars wonderful!, August 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Dakota Dugout (Paperback)

My son and I loved this book. It is a touching story of a young couple, with a great take home message at the end. After reading it I was able to tell my son about my great grandfather living in a dugout when he came over from Germany.

4.0 out of 5 stars Good pioneer images, October 8, 2009

By 

Tigergramma (Minnesota) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dakota Dugout (Hardcover)

Good pioneer images to convey what it was like back then...useful for learning and remembering heritage.