Lewis and Clark: A Prairie Dog for the President (Step into Reading, Step 3) [Paperback]

Shirley Raye Redmond (Author), John Manders (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up | Series: Step into Reading

In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson sends Lewis and Clark out west to explore. He tells them to make maps. He tells them to draw pictures and collect plants. Most importantly, he tells them to send presents! What kind of present is good enough for a president? Beginning readers will truly enjoy reading about this fun and little-known slice of American history.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Gr. 1-3. The history is handled with a light touch in this Step into Reading title about the American West, and Manders' colorful cartoon-style art is a perfect match for the storytelling. President Jefferson asks Lewis and Clark to go west, and "make maps, and explore rivers . . . collect plants and draw wild animals . . . send presents." Comic scenes show the explorers trying to catch buffalo and grizzly bears to send to the president, but they settle on the cute, little, wild dog, which scouts take back to Jefferson together with a huge load of plants, skins, and animals. Other than Sacagawea, who is a big help ("she talked and traded with the Indians they met on the way"), there's no mention of the native peoples the explorers encountered, but this lively history will make new readers want to know more. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Library Binding edition.

From the Inside Flap

In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson sends Lewis and Clark out west to explore. He tells them to make maps. He tells them to draw pictures and collect plants. Most importantly, he tells them to send presents! What kind of present is good enough for a president? Beginning readers will truly enjoy reading about this fun and little-known slice of American history.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers; 1 edition (May 27, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375811206
• ISBN-13: 978-0375811203
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #35,496 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > History & Historical Fiction > Fiction > Exploration & Discoveries
  • #5 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > History & Historical Fiction > Exploration & Discovery
  • #5 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Action & Adventure

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fun and Funny Reader, May 28, 2003

By 

Jennifer McKerley (Los Alamos, New Mexico USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lewis and Clark: A Prairie Dog for the President (Step into Reading) (Library Binding)

Lewis and Clark, A Prairie Dog for the President, is a fun read that's nicely paced. Author Shirley Raye Redmond uses whimsy and humor to tell this historic event: President Jefferson sends the eager Lewis and Clark off to explore the West. The vast young nation has never been fully explored. The president wonders how long it will take to get to the end of it and what they will find. One of my favorite parts is the banter over what to name the barking prairie creature they discover and send back to Jefferson.
"You can call it a ground rat."
"No, it looks like squirrel. I'll call it a barking squirrel."
"Squirrels don't bark. Dogs bark. We should call it a prairie dog."
"That's it!" Lewis and Clark agreed.
Later it starts all over again, when the President asks, "Is it a gopher?"
The illustrations by John Manders are just as pleasing. I like the facial expressions on the people and animals, especially the mischievous smile of the prairie dog. Manders is skilled at portraying action and emotions. And like the author, his sense of humor is so much fun. A buffalo and bear pose to be sketched. A buffalo won't fit in a shipping crate. Prairie dogs pop in and out of holes, eluding capture. A poor scout is so weighed down with "presents" for the President, he must be hoisted onto a boat.
Together, Shirley Raye Redmond and John Manders have created a delightful book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars History Can Be Fun., September 1, 2004

By 

tvtv3 "tvtv3" (Sorento, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Lewis and Clark: A Prairie Dog for the President (Step into Reading, Step 3) (Paperback)

LEWIS AND CLARK: A PRAIRIE DOG FOR THE PRESIDENT is a step 3 young readers book that discusses how the Lewis and Clark expedition began, what it's purpose was, and some of the strange sights that the group of explorers saw. The story has some words that the youngest of readers might not be able to handle, but contains enough familiar words and phrases that somewhat older readers (1-3rd graders) won't have any problems and might pick up a few new vocabulary words. The illustration by John Manders is really what makes this book stand out as it adds a depth of humor to the text that would otherwise be lacking. For instance, the picture of the overburden scout carrying a cage with a prairie dog and another with some magpies, traveling to Baltimore to deliver the plants, animals, and other goods and a letter to the President is quite funny. Overall, this is a really good book that children will enjoy reading and learn some history in the process.

5.0 out of 5 stars These Step Into Reading books are excellent readers and educational!, September 27, 2010

By 

Z Hayes (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Lewis and Clark: A Prairie Dog for the President (Step into Reading, Step 3) (Paperback)

Since my Kindergartener (age five-and-a-half) had completed the Step 2 books in the Step Into Reading series of books, I decided to go ahead and purchase the Step 3 books. I was a bit hesitant because I noticed there is quite a big leap between the Step 2 and Step 3 books, especially in terms of vocabulary and sentence structure. The vocabulary is more advanced with higher order words, and the sentences are longer. I was also concerned that my daughter might not like the topics which seemed to be more 'academic' with history-based stories. My worries were unfounded. She loves the books and is reading them with very little help from me.

These books are excellent for building children's reading skills as well as increasing their confidence. Once you've completed the Step 1 and Step 2 books (I would advise proceeding level by level), the Step 3 books are not as daunting as they might first appear. In "Lewis and Clark", young readers are introduced to the intrepid explorers whose adventures are now part of American history. Their adventures are vividly illustrated with color illustrations that will appeal to visual learners (my daughter is certainly motivated by illustrations - she still balks at reading books that are text-heavy with few illustrations).

I can't recommend these books highly enough - they are great for building reading skills, and also educational. This book is a great introduction to history, and I also came up with a series of short comprehension questions based on the story in this book so as to hone my daughter's comprehension skills (e.g. "Who were Lewis and Clark?" "What animal did they give to the President?" etc.).