From Publishers Weekly
Glass (Bad Guys) serves up another slice of rough-and-ready Americana with this rootin'-tootin' tribute to the fur trappers and frontiersmen of the Old West. "Mother Nature, they said, stretched the truth taller and wider in the Rocky Mountains, just naturally making grand liars out of ordinary frontier yarn spinners," he writes. He proves the point with profiles of seven mountain men, spotlighting exploits both real and imaginary. There are grizzly encounters, cabin fever-inspired brawls and brushes with death, as well as outrageous yarns about horses that jump across canyons in their sleep. One particularly blithe raconteur claimed to have been dangled over a precipice by a giant Blackfoot: "At this point in his story, Jim would hesitate... until some greenhorn demanded impatiently, `Well, what happened?' Then Jim Bridger... would reply simply, `I got kilt!' " Explanations of the Louisiana Purchase, the Lewis and Clark expedition and the fur trade orient readers at the beginning of the book; at the end, readers will enjoy the pictorial list of "mountain man necessaries" and the glossary, which identifies such terms as "porkeater" (greenhorn) and "didins" (food). Glass's language fairly bristles with color, and his busy, rough-hewn style complements the hyperbolic humor of the vignettes without sacrificing a hold on realism. Ages 8-12.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Gr 3-7-A lively look at seven adventurous individuals. Glass relates the actual exploits of these historical figures while interweaving many of the tall tales and exaggerations that became attached to them. He sets the scene by describing the impact of the Louisiana Purchase on western exploration, then relates the conditions faced by the typical mountain man. The heart of the book consists of biographical sketches of John Colter, Jedediah Smith, Hugh Glass, Jim Bridger, Mike Fink, Kit Carson, and Jim Beckwourth. The author's energetic narrative reflects the high spirits and daunting actions of these individuals. Although the facts are usually discernible from the fiction to those who know the stories, younger children unfamiliar with these figures and tales may find it difficult to distinguish between what is true and what is imaginative storytelling. Colter's desperate flight from Blackfoot warriors really happened, but readers will wonder if the words he used to earn the chance at freedom are quotes or embellishment. Vibrant paintings match the action and humor of the text, with most two-page spreads including a dynamic full-page illustration. By embracing both history and legend, Glass brings the mountain men and their era to life.
Steven Engelfried, Deschutes County Library, Bend, OR
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
