Gift Horse: A Lakota Story [Hardcover]

S. D. Nelson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1999 | Grade Level: P and up

Relates the story of a Lakota youth whose father gives him a horse in preparation for his making the transition from boyhood into manhood and becoming a Lakota Warrior.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In his children's book debut, Nelson, a member of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, imagines the boyhood of his great-great-grandfather, a Lakota warrior. His prose is spare, even expressionless at times, as he recounts the rites of passage of his protagonist, Flying Cloud. Eager to prove himself, Flying Cloud hunts, goes alone on a four-day vision quest and joins the men on a buffalo hunt. He also grows increasingly attached to his horse, Storm, a gift from his father, and it is his partnership with Storm that ultimately helps Flying Cloud achieve warrior status. Like the text, the art is highly controlled. Nelson works here in acrylic paints on wood panels; the medium encourages a flatness to the compositional plane. Figures are angular and stylized--the humans have few facial features, the horses lack manes. Instead of such details, Nelson relies on bold color to supply energy and character. Storm, for example, is blue; half of Flying Cloud's face is red while the other half is striped in blue. Textured backgrounds add visual interest and counterbalance the primitive aspects of the illustrations. The understated delivery may put off readers, but those who can adjust to Nelson's quiet approach will find that the story has staying power. Ages 4-8. (Nov.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Grade 2-6-This quietly told, first-person narrative relates how Flying Cloud matured from a boy to a man in the Lakota society of the 1800s. The horse was considered a sacred animal by the Sioux, one of the finest gifts one person could give another. This story, which opens with the presentation of a horse to Flying Cloud, traces his growth as he practices war games with friends, learns to trust his horse's judgment and to think before acting, and goes through the rituals that denote attainment of Warrior status. Sweat lodges, vision quests, hunting successes, and counting coup are all explained in the context of the story. Also, the Lakota cosmology, integral to the story, becomes clear. Nelson's illustrative style is influenced by the ledger-book drawings of the Plains Indian artists. Clear, iconic, slightly elongated figures rendered in acrylics on wood in bright, solid colors contrast with the milky realism of the prairie skies and snowstorms. Best used with works such as Paul Goble's The Gift of the Sacred Dog (Bradbury, 1982) or Russell Freedman's Indian Chiefs (Holiday, 1987), this story, fluid in both narrative and illustrations, elucidates with grace and clarity a way of seeing the world and comporting oneself in it.
Ann Welton, Terminal Park Elementary School, Auburn, WA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (November 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810941279
• ISBN-13: 978-0810941274
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 9.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #263,556 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Moving, Gorgeous Book, April 25, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Gift Horse: A Lakota Story (Hardcover)

This is a beautifully told and illustrated story inspired by the author's great-great grandfather, a Lakota Indian named Flying Cloud. In the story, Flying Cloud earns his name from the way he stirs up dust as he flies across the Plains on Storm, his horse. The relationship between boy and horse inspires several adventures: they get lost in a storm, they hunt buffalo, and when Storm is stolen by Crow horse thieves, Flying Cloud must rescue her. But this is more than the story of a boy and his horse. Nelson also concentrates on Flying Cloud's desire to prove himself and become a great Lakota Warrior. Different aspects of the lifestyle of Plains Indians are depicted, including the buffalo hunt, the sweat lodge, and the vision quest. The illustrations are particularly beautiful, and the writing is both spare and poetic. Highly recommended!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An ageless story of growing up., April 16, 2000

By 

"gierschie" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gift Horse: A Lakota Story (Hardcover)

S.D. Nelson's book The Gift Horse is a beautiful story of a young boy's coming of age. The story teaches values of becoming a man that include all nationalities. The illistrations are breath taking. The colors are vibrant and alive. Drawn in the traditional style supports the traditional way of the Native Americans. A new book is Crazy Horse, the Legend

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fast horse helps a young Lakota boy enter manhood, August 1, 2005

By 

Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Gift Horse: A Lakota Story (Hardcover)

When he begins his journey to manhood, a young Lakota boy is given a Gift Horse by his father, who had brought some new horses back from a trading visit with the Cheyenne. Flying Cloud names the horse Storm and the two become the best of friends. Storm is so fast that the boy is named Flying Cloud by the people. The two play games together and when Flying Cloud becomes lost in a raging prairie blizzard it is Storm that gets him home. Most of this story tells of not only the adventures of Flying Cloud and Storm, but also of what it was like for a young Lakota boy preparing to enter manhood. The climax of the story comes when a group of Crow, the enemies of the Lakota, steal most of the horses from Flying Cloud's tribe, including Storm.

S. D. Nelson is a member of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe in the Dakotas, and Flying Cloud was the name of his great-great grandfather. In an extensive Author's Note in the back of "Gift Horse," Nelson explains about the history of the Lakota (including how history books ended up calling them the Sioux instead) and focuses on the importance of horses in the culture of the Plains Indians and the rite of passage by which a Lakota boy entered manhood. For young readers who are interesting in finding out more about these subjects, Nelson gives them plenty to look over before they go on to other books or start searching the Internet.

The colorful artwork is done in acrylic paint on a wood panel and is based on the ledger book drawings done by Plains Indian artists done between 1865 and 1935. The bold illustrations will capture the attention of young readers, but the story is impressive as well, especially in terms of how it depicts the life of a young Lakota boy. "Gift Horse" is Nelson's first children's book and since this came out in 1999 he has added "The Star People: A Lakota Story." He has also illustrated other children's book as well, most notably "Crazy Horse's Visions" and "Jim Thorpe's Brightest Path."