Mule Train Mail [Paperback]

Craig Brown (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2009 | Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

While working on this book, Craig Brown traveled to the Grand Canyon to observe the only mule train delivery route in the United States. Mule Train Mail introduces readers to Anthony Paya, who wears a cowboy hat, chaps, and spurs, and leads a train of mules on a daily three-hour trek down into the Grand Canyon to bring mail to the townspeople of Supai. A portion of the sales will be donated to the Havasupai Head Start program to help children in Supai develop early reading skills.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2—In this engaging text, Brown relates the daily trip made by Anthony the Postman from the top of the Grand Canyon to the village of Supai far below on the canyon floor. Wearing "a cowboy hat, chaps, and spurs," he leads a train of mules carrying "letters and packages, along with groceries, water, clothes, and even computers" down the steep trail through all types of weather conditions, for "the mail must go through." An author's note gives additional details that children will appreciate, including the fact that it takes three hours to make the eight-mile trip from the south rim to the village, located on the Havasupai Indian Reservation. He also describes the expedition he made with Anthony Paya, lead muleteer, to appreciate firsthand the journey and the rigors of the landscape. Brown's wonderful pastel and colored pencil illustrations are a testament to the time he spent on the trail. Readers will feel that they are experiencing the heat and dust as well as the beautiful flora and fauna of the region. Shifting perspectives (the book must be held vertically for trail scenes) add to the drama by providing a sense of the canyon's awesome size while close-ups of the mules highlight the animals' important role. A fascinating and informative addition.—Maura Bresnahan, High Plain Elementary School, Andover, MA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

In some remote pockets of Arizona, the postman wears a cowboy hat and leads a mule train. The front endpaper illustration traces the mail route through the Grand Canyon. At the South Rim of the Canyon, boxes of mail are transferred from a Postal Service truck to the saddlepacks of Anthony the postman's six mules. He rides a horse and has an eager dog to help guide him along the zipzagging trail full of sharp switchbacks. A succession of double-page spreads that need to be turned 90 degrees for proper viewing emphasizes the steep descent of the route. Deep mud, ice and flash floods make the trail treacherous, but never prevent Anthony from completing his route, which is narrated in a simple, concrete present tense. At length, the mule train reaches its destination, the village of Supai, tucked into a green valley where Anthony unloads the mail and--because Supai is also Anthony's home--his family greets him. Brown's illustrations, in pastel and colored pencil, look appropriately sun-washed. Informative as well as evocative, and told with crisp clarity. --Kirkus Reviews

In this engaging text, Brown relates the daily trip made by Anthony the Postman from the top of the Grand Canyon to the village of Supai far below on the canyon floor. Wearing a cowboy hat, chaps, and spurs, he leads a train of mules carrying letters and packages, along with groceries, water, clothes, and even computers down the steep trail through all types of weather conditions, for the mail must go through. An author's note gives additional details that children will appreciate, including the fact that it takes three hours to make the eight-mile trip from the south rim to the village, located on the Havasupai Indian Reservation. He also describes the expedition he made with Anthony Paya, lead muleteer, to appreciate firsthand the journey and the rigors of the landscape. Brown's wonderful pastel and colored pencil illustrations are a testament to the time he spent on the trail. Readers will feel that they are experiencing the heat and dust as well as the beautiful flora and fauna of the region. Shifting perspectives (the book must be held vertically for trail scenes) add to the drama by providing a sense of the canyon's awesome size while close-ups of the mules highlight the animals important role. A fascinating and informative addition --School Library Journal

There's one place left in the United States where the mail is delivered by mule train: from the rim of the Grand Canyon a mile down to Supai, on the Havasupai Indian Reservation. The mules carry letters and packages, along with groceries, water, clothes and even computers, Brown writes, and neither 100-degree heat nor ice has ever stopped the trip. In the village, there are no cars; only mules and horses. In dusty brown pastels, he draws a quietly fascinating picture of a rare way of life. --New York Times Book Review

Neither snow, nor sleet, nor rain, nor dark of night stops the mail. But what happens to its delivery when there are no roads? In the remote contemporary community of Supai, located on the Havasupai Indian Reservation in Arizona at the base of the Grand Canyon, muleteers deliver the mail, working their way down the treacherous trails with a convoy of mules hauling letters, food, and packages. The yellows, browns, and rust colors of the landscape radiate the heat from the surrounding canyon; the palette changes to whites and blues to convey the danger of driving rain and sleet. The book opens with Anthony the postman (he "doesn't wear a uniform. He wears a cowboy hat, chaps, and spurs") loading the mules at the top of the canyon. Even in the close-up illustrations, the wide, open expanses of big sky country peek through the horizon, setting the panoramic scene. In vivid contrast to the opening and closing horizontal spreads, Brown depicts the winding trail vertically, adding to the drama of the trip and the potential danger to both men and beasts. An author's note provides details about the process as well as an account of Brown's own expedition with the Supai letter carriers. --The Horn Book Magazine

In some remote pockets of Arizona, the postman wears a cowboy hat and leads a mule train. The front endpaper illustration traces the mail route through the Grand Canyon. At the South Rim of the Canyon, boxes of mail are transferred from a Postal Service truck to the saddlepacks of Anthony the postman's six mules. He rides a horse and has an eager dog to help guide him along the zipzagging trail full of sharp switchbacks. A succession of double-page spreads that need to be turned 90 degrees for proper viewing emphasizes the steep descent of the route. Deep mud, ice and flash floods make the trail treacherous, but never prevent Anthony from completing his route, which is narrated in a simple, concrete present tense. At length, the mule train reaches its destination, the village of Supai, tucked into a green valley where Anthony unloads the mail and--because Supai is also Anthony's home--his family greets him. Brown's illustrations, in pastel and colored pencil, look appropriately sun-washed. Informative as well as evocative, and told with crisp clarity. --Kirkus Reviews --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Paperback: 36 pages
• Publisher: Charlesbridge Publishing (July 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580891888
• ISBN-13: 978-1580891882
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 9 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,387,473 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a surprising look at just how far some people have to go to deliver the mail! "Hi-ya!", November 12, 2009

By 

D. Fowler "Dragonfly77" (Vermont) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mule Train Mail (Hardcover)

Anthony is a different kind of postman. He doesn't walk a mail route, he doesn't work behind a counter nor does he drive a truck. He doesn't wear the Postal Service regulation uniform, but rather "wears a cowboy hat, chaps, and spurs." The mail for his route is delivered to him in bulk and when it arrives he prepares it for his mule train at the "south rim of the Grand Canyon." Anthony, one of the most unusual mail carriers in the United States, delivers anything and everything that can be packed onto the back of a mule. During the busy holiday season the mules have delivered "everything from pumpkins to Christmas trees." "Hi-ya!" It's time to make a few deliveries.

A desert bird can be seen sitting on a leafless branch watching the mule train as it begins its one mile descent to the bottom of the canyon floor. The route quickly becomes precarious as the route "zigzags along sharp switchblades." The trail is teeming with desert life in the plateaus. The narrow trail is not for the faint of heart as Anthony, his dog and mule team need to navigate past hikers and through all kinds of treacherous weather conditions. When they reach the bottom, he "lets the mules take a quick drink from the crystal-clear water" of Havasu Creek. They soon reach their destination, the village of Supai, where everyone is waiting for their mail!

This amazing story certainly gives new meaning to the phrase, "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds." I enjoyed going along with Anthony and his mule team as they wended their way down the canyon. The book doesn't go into great detail about how much a mule can carry or things such as the population of Supai, but this leaves a lot of room for a young student to work on a report. The artwork was simple, but very appealing and I liked how all of a sudden I had to rotate the book when the trail became steeper. This is a surprising look at just how far some people have to go to deliver the mail!

5.0 out of 5 stars Rutgers University Project on Economics and Children, August 22, 2009

By 

Yana V. Rodgers "econkids.rutgers.edu" (New Brunswick, NJ) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mule Train Mail (Hardcover)

Neither rain nor sleet nor hail nor flash floods can stop Anthony the Postman from delivering mail to the village of Supai at the base of the Grand Canyon. Anthony, a skilled muleteer, delivers the mail using a small train of mules, usually making the eight-mile trip in about three hours. Although the scenery may be breathtaking, the hairpin turns and rocky path can be hazardous, especially during poor weather conditions. But the mail always goes through.

With its focus on the postal service, this engaging new book presents a good opportunity to introduce young learners to the idea of public services. The descriptive text and striking pastel and colored pencil illustrations are clearly enhanced by the author's personal experience riding with the mule train. In addition to its unique topic, the book also raises awareness of the Havasupai Indian Reservation at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.