Gold Fever [Hardcover]

Verla Kay (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 15, 1999 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

In this brief rhyming story set during the gold rush, Jasper leaves his family and farm to pursue his dream of finding gold.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

First-time author Kay's gloriously terse verse takes a rhymin' romp through the gold fields of 1849 California. "Dashing westward,/ Many miners./ Townsfolk snicker,/ 'Forty-niners.' " So begins the dynamic tale of a farmer named Jasper who leaves home and hearth to find his fortune. Kay shoehorns a motherlode of historical information into her minimalist chronicle of Jasper's misadventures. As Kay tots up Jasper's provisions ("Packed a shovel,/ Pistol, pick,/ Goldpan, bedroll,/ Walking stick"), describes the often disagreeable conditions on the journey west ("Prairie-dust storm,/ River, rocks./ Desert, sagebrush,/ Holes in socks") and sketches the disappointments that await ("Grumpy miners,/ Nuggets?small./ Jasper scowling,/ Fireside brawl"), Schindler's (Don't Fidget a Feather) jaunty colored pencil illustrations skillfully move the action forward, adding layers of texture and detail with flashes of humor. A rich vein of Americana, cleverly mined. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4-Twenty rhyming quatrains in trochaic dimeter tell of family man Jasper's leaving his farm to seek his fortune during the Gold Rush of 1849. It's a hard and dangerous pilgrimage to the West, fighting the elements as well as the unfriendly fauna. Then there's the backbreaking work of prospecting combined with dealing with the numerous and equally frustrated prospectors. Discouraged, Jasper packs up and returns to his family and it's, "Back to farmhouse,/ Chickens, cow,/Barnyard, fences,/Pitchfork, plow." While children will enjoy the rhythm of this laconic tale, supplemental narrative may be necessary to fill in the period details and define mining terminology such as "sluicing," "vein," and "claim," not to mention the arcane "long tom" (a gold-washing trough). Nonetheless, Kay's personalized approach to history is a hoot. Schindler's colored-pencil drawings on brown, flecked paper are detailed, visually fleshing out the mining process and are often humorous, showing bumper-to-bumper covered wagons heading to California, circling vultures on the hot trail, erect grizzlies scaring miners way up into trees, and, finally, Jasper gratefully kissing his cow upon his humble return to the farm. This is a terrific read-aloud that painlessly introduces children to the unique American folly that played a significant role in expansionism.
John Sigwald, Unger Memorial Library, Plainview, TX
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Juvenile; First Edition edition (February 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399230270
• ISBN-13: 978-0399230271
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,190,597 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Presents a humorous view of the California Gold Rush, June 22, 1999

By 

[e-mail] Karen Strickler Dean (Palo Alto, California, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gold Fever (Hardcover)

Written in short, cryptic and perfectly rhymed and metered verse, Verla Kay's Gold Fever presents an amusing and authentic picture of the excitement and hardships of California's Gold Rush. The illustrations match the humorous text.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great purchase, January 15, 2011

By 

Gataloca - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Gold Fever (Hardcover)

I used this book as an introduction to the CA Gold Rush. I teach ESL at the middle school level. The kids loved the pictures and the rhymes used in this book. Gold Fever really showed the problems faced by men like poor Jaspar. I highly recommend this book.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great companion for 4th grade curriculum, April 9, 2010

By 

Water7996 "AvidReader" (Northern California) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Gold Fever (Picture Puffin) (Paperback)

As a water educator, I include this book in the pre-teaching packet I send to the class prior to my 4th grade presentation, "California Water." It's a quick and fun way give students a feel for the realities of the gold rush. A great companion for California's 4th grade curriculum.