The Ledgerbook of Thomas Blue Eagle (Hardcover)

by et al Gay Matthaei (Author) "I was born in the Moon When Ponies Shed Their Shaggy Hair I was horseback before I could walk..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Even a cursory glance at this handsome debut volume lets readers know that it is no ordinary picture book. The blue cloth jacket, with its rounded corners and stamped border design, artfully suggests the eponymous ledger, as does the ruled inset that bears the title-written in script, as is all the text-and a distinctive, childlike illustration. Opening the book-not vertically but horizontally-reveals sumptuous marbled endpapers that enclose a journal kept by Thomas Blue Eagle, a (fictitious) Sioux lad who learned "the white man's language and his skills" at the Carlisle (Penna.) Indian School-an institution, as noted in the book's afterword, that existed from 1879 to 1918. The journal's entries, which are written across the pages' lines rather than on them, range from informative to poignant to humorous ("The first time I saw a white man I thought he was sick because he was so pale"); and all exude a child's guilelessness ("The white man broke the treaties. We went to war"). Inspired by the picture stories of 19th-century Plains Indians, Cvijanovic's vivid pictographic illustrations are outstanding, speaking volumes even as they, too, remain perfectly childlike. Uncommon artistry combined with thoughtful research have produced a work of rare quality and merit. Ages 8-up.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 4-8-This book looks convincingly like a drawn and written record made by a student at the historic Carlisle Indian School in the late 19th century, but it is in fact a work of fiction. Thomas describes aspects of his life on the plains with his beloved pony, Two Painted Horse. A Crow raid and his own successful coup against a white trapper provide narrative incident. Most of the story involves the boy's adjustment to the school, where he learns the white man's ways without rejecting his own. But for whom is he creating this account? Why does he describe his still-viable culture in the past tense? And, most important, why interpolate a fantastic incident from Lakota legend (better retold in Rosebud Yellow Robe's Tonweya and the Eagles [Dial, 1992]) into an otherwise realistic account? Such questions may hardly occur to readers taken with the look of this book-its copperplate, hand-written text and the "aged," colorful, pictograph-like art. Everything so suggests an authentic document (the authors' research and a Lakota advisor further vouch for the background veracity) that the inconspicuous fictional disclaimer at the back may be overlooked. If the volume's loose narrative cohesion is also verisimilar, the liveliness and interest of the art is a real counterweight.
Patricia (Dooley) Lothrop Green, St. George's School, Newport, RI
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 72 pages
• Publisher: Charlesbridge Publishing (October 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1565660633
• ISBN-13: 978-1565660632
• Product Dimensions: 11.7 x 7.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #417,265 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A superb, multilcultural, timeless, educational masterpiece, August 5, 1997

By A Customer

Of the many excellent reviews of this book - starred in PW, for example - why did you choose the Kirkus Review's? The Ledgerbook was supervised, vetted and blessed by Arthur Amiotte, a Sioux Elder, with more credentials than you can count. A leading advocate of the power of education, Mr. Amiotte 's approval of and great delight in the authenticity of this book has obviously been overlooked in the KR reviewer's research. Throughout the entire country, this book has been cited again and again by educators and parents alike as being the most powerful, interactive teaching tool they've come across in years, not to mention being an extraordinry feast for the eyes. Please research your reviews before choosing the one that will (incorrectly in this case) represent the book to your many readers. Subjecting an extraordinary book to bad PR out of ignorance should be beneath you

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 1995 winner of the Christopher Award for best children's, February 16, 1997

By A Customer

Won the Christopher and International Readers Awards in 1995 because it is an authentic history, fictionalized, with stunning illustrations in the style of Plains Indians. We found it in the museum stores of the Southwest, where it was a favorite of the librarians. There is also a cd-rom called Journey of Thomas Blue Eagle, done by the illustrator.It is a favorite gift book of ours and hugely appreciated by the recipients

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful homage to the ledgebook storytelling of the Plains Indians, January 25, 2008

By	Wildness (Colorado Plateau) - See all my reviews

*The Ledgerbook of Thomas Blue-Eagle* is a beautifully designed and constructed book that harkens back to the ledgerbook storytelling of the Plains Indians, especially the young students of the Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania. From the marbled endpapers to the ruled and "textured" pages that are the backdrop of this book's storytelling, this is a well executed picture book for all ages.

This book is the fictitious story of Thomas Blue-Eagle, a young student at the Carlisle School who uses "the white man's language" to relate who he is and where he comes from. Illustrated in a pictograph style, Blue-Eagle's story is a poignant imagining of the real-life stories of the Plains Indians at the end of the 19th Century.

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A Guide to my Book Rating System:

1 star = The wood pulp would have been better utilized as toilet paper.
2 stars = Don't bother, clean your bathroom instead.
3 stars = Wasn't a waste of time, but it was time wasted.
4 stars = Good book, but not life altering.
5 stars = This book changed my world in at least some small way.