Geronimo, Wolf of the Warpath by Ralph Moody

 

Geronimo, Wolf of the Warpath

by Ralph Moody

a Landmark book published by Random House, c. 1958.

Republished by Sterling in 2006.

 

This book about Native American, Geronimo, was written by Ralph Moody, author of the well-known Little Britches series which are being republished by Purple House Press. He also wrote several of the North Star series books, some horse books and another Landmark, Kit Carson and the Wild Frontier. Most of his books were centered on life in the old west, so it’s no surprise that he was commissioned to write the story of Geronimo.  Interesting to note that Moody was 10 years old when Geronimo died! 

The book starts out with a historical overview of the events of the West in the times before Geronimo’s birth, explaining some background to the term “apache,” which became the name for Geronimo’s tribe. Coronado came into the Southwest after the Spanish had conquered the Aztecs, searching for the rich seven cities of Cibola about 1540 into Arizona/New Mexico. Gradually more and more Mexicans moved north; Native Americans there fought back by raiding rather than open warfare. Apache sounded like the word for enemy so that’s what this Native Americans tribe was then called. 

Geronimo was born in 1829 and died in 1909. His name at birth was Gokliya. His father was chief of his tribe and trained his son very early for all things to become a chief. He gained skills of hunting, their legends, the medicine man’s skills, and how to read the stars. His skills made him both admired and hated as he grew. His father died when he was young but his father’s instruction never left him. 

A white man named Johnson tricked the Apache and massacred 50 of them. Now the Apache feared and hated the white man. 

I feel the book shows clearly the power of a father AND mother’s influence. After his father’s death, his mother set him on a road of being a warrior, not trusting the Mexicans or white man ever again, ready to kill, and this was to shape the rest of his life. His mother, wife, and children were killed by Mexicans when he was a young man, and he became hell-bent on revenge for his family’s death.

 As he grew into adulthood, he became the most-hunted Native American by white men, including eventually the US government. This is when he gained his notoriety for his cunning trickery, his constant raiding and killing, and his refusal to comply with either the authorities of his people or white man. And it was at time that he was given the name of Geronimo. One biographer wrote that “he frightened his Mexican enemies so much that they began yelling “Geronimo.” Some believe they were screaming the Spanish word for Jerome — and that they were pleading for help from St. Jerome to escape Geronimo’s fury.” (https://allthatsinteresting.com/geronimo) 

Eventually, even the Apaches turned against him and refused to allow him to lead their people, as much as Geronimo had always craved that. He had never gained the respect of his people. They helped to capture him. The book doesn’t go into a lot of the rest of his life until his death. 

It’s interesting to think of the events of American history that touched his life in some way. He lived through the Mexican War, the time of westward expansion, the Cochise War, the Apache Wars, the California gold rush, the Civil War and its aftermath, the American Industrial Revolution, and into the 20^th century. All of these events shaped his life. 

As I read the book, I noticed that Moody was careful to tell of Native Americans who were good and honest as well as those who chose to follow Geronimo’s murderous treachery. Moody also tells of white men who could be trusted to be fair in the treatment of Native Americans and those who were unfair, as well as the American government’s often unjust treatment of them. The book was written in 1958, when most books presented them as illiterate, base savages, so Moody was ahead of his time in that way.  He does refer to them as Indians, which was typical of the time period in which he wrote. I don’t find that offensive and understand they were called that at that time.  Even he called himself an Indian in his autobiography, published in 1906. 

Biographer Marco Margaretoff wrote “Even now, people visit his gravestone, adorned with a soaring eagle, and imagine the courage it must have taken to defy this new American empire as it was roaring into power.” 

I highly recommend this book for middle school readers as a nice accompaniment to your studies of Native Americans and/or the 19^th century western expansion of the United States.

(Sandy Hall. All rights reserved 2023)

2022 Caldecott Medal and Honor Books

 

2022 Caldecott Award Winner 

Watercress, written by Andrea Wang, illustrated by Jason Chin

From the dust jacket: Driving through Ohio in an old Pontiac, a young girl’s parents stop suddenly when they spot something growing in a ditch by the side of the road . . . watercress! With an old paper bag and some trusty scissors, the whole family wades into the muck to collect as much of the muddy, snail-covered plant as they can. At first, it’s embarrassing. Why can’t her family get food at the grocery store? But when her mother shares the story of her family’s life in China, the girl learns to appreciate the fresh food they foraged. Together, they make a new memory of watercress in this tender story inspired by the author’s childhood memories and illustrated by Caldecott Honor artist Jason Chin. 

From the Amazon description: While driving through Ohio in an old Pontiac, a young girl's Chinese immigrant parents spot watercress growing wild in a ditch by the side of the road.  They stop the car, grabbing rusty scissors and an old paper bag, and the whole family wades into the mud to gather as much as they can. At first, she's embarrassed. Why can't her family just get food from the grocery store, like everyone else? But when her mother shares a bittersweet story of her family history in China, the girl learns to appreciate the fresh food they foraged—and the memories left behind in pursuit of a new life. Together, they make a new memory of watercress. Author Andrea Wang calls this moving, autobiographical story “both an apology and a love letter to my parents.”  It’s a bittersweet, delicate look at how sharing the difficult parts of our histories can create powerful new moments of family history and help connect us to our roots. Jason Chin’s illustrations move between China and the American Midwest and were created with a mixture of traditional Chinese brushes and western media. The dreamy, nostalgic color palette brings this beautiful story to life. An endnote from the author describes her personal connection to the story, and an illustrator’s note touches on both the process of the painting, and the emotional meaning brought to the work.  

Awards: New England Book Award Winner; A New York Times Best Children’s Book of the Year; A Wall Street Journal Best Children's Book of the Year; A Boston Globe Best Children's Book of the Year; A Washington Post Best Children's Book of the Year; A Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book; Winner of the Cybils Award; An SCBWI Crystal Kite Award Winner; A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year; A Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year; An ALSC Notable Children's Book; Named a best book of the year by Publishers Weekly, BookPage, School Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Lunch, Shelf Awareness , and more! A CBC/NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book; An NPR 'Book We Love!'; A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection! 

You can listen to the book read here by someone who had similar experiences growing up in Ohio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIU-Wp-CNOs

 You can listen to an interview about the book here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJbl-klxdkc 

Author: Andrea Wang is the award-winning author of The Nian Monster and Magic Ramen: The Story of Momofuku Ando. [If you have a child or grandchild who loves Ramen noodles, this book is a fun read!] Wang was inspired to write Watercress by her experience growing up in rural Ohio as a child of Chinese immigrants. Andrea holds an M.S. in Environmental Science and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing for Young People. She lives in Colorado with her family. (quoted from the dust jacket). 

A Note from the Author: This story is about the power of memory. Not just the beautiful memories, like the ones my mother and father had about eating watercress in China, but also the difficult ones, the memories that are sometimes too painful to share. It starts with my own distressing memory of being made to pick watercress that was growing wild by the side of the road. As the child of Chinese immigrants, growing up in a small, mostly white town in Ohio, I was aware of how different my family and I were from everyone else. It’s hard to feel like you don’t belong, and collecting food from a muddy roadside ditch just made that bad feeling more intense for me—something my very practical parents didn’t understand. When I was young, my parents didn’t talk about their memories of China, of growing up poor, losing siblings, and surviving war. I don’t blame them—these are difficult topics to discuss with children. But it’s important, too, for children to understand their family history. Perhaps if I had known about the hardships they had faced, I would have been more compassionate as a child. Maybe I would have felt more empathy and less anger. More pride in my heritage and less shame. Memories have the power to inform, to inspire, and to heal. This story is both an apology and a love letter to my parents. It’s also an encouragement to all children who feel different and to families with difficult pasts—share your memories. Tell your stories. They are essential. 

Illustrator: Jason Chin is a celebrated author and illustrator of children’s books. His book Grand Canyon was awarded a Caldecott Honor, a Sibert Honor, and the NCTE Orbis Pictus Award. His other acclaimed nonfiction titles—Redwoods, Coral Reefs, Island: A Story of the Galapagos, Gravity, and Your Place in the Universe—have received numerous starred reviews and other accolades. He is also the illustrator of Stephanie Parsley Ledyard’s debut title Pie Is for Sharing and Miranda Paul’s Water Is Water and Nine Months: Before a Baby is Born, the latter, a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book. He lives in Vermont with his wife and children. (quoted from the dust jacket). 

My opinion: The illustrations are soft and lovely and yet at the same time realistic. I love this story about a young girl learning her mother’s childhood memories and the difference that makes in her. She grows to appreciate her mother’s difficult memories, experiences compassion for the uncle who did not survive the famine, and learns to have more pride in her heritage. The book gives a window into the heart and mind of second-generation immigrants who really live in two worlds. I love the child’s new sensitivity and maturity that occurs as a result of hearing her mother’s stories.

2022 Caldecott Honor Books

Mel Fell, written and illustrated by Corey R. Tabor 

From the dust jacket: Sometimes, you might fall down, down down, before you learn to fly up, up, up . . . A charming and innovative tale about a plucky little bird, from the award-winning author of Fox the Tiger. 

From the Amazon description: A Caldecott Honor Book and ALA Notable Book of the Year! An innovative and charming tale about a plucky little bird, from the award-winning author-illustrator of Fox the Tiger.Readers will delight in turning their book sideways and upside down to follow Mel on her journey from downward fall to triumphant flight in this tale of self-confidence and taking a leap of faith. An especially enjoyable and satisfying read-aloud!

Sometimes, you might fall

               down,

                               down,

                                               down,

before you learn to fly

               up,

                               up,

                                               up… 

Awards: Besides the Caldecott Honor 2022, the book has also won these awards: Barnes & Noble Picture Book Award Winner; PNBA Book Awards Shortlist; A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2021; A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2021; A Horn Book Fanfare Best Book of the Year; Kids Indie Next List selection, and starred reviews from Kirkus, Horn Book, and Publishers Weekly. 

You can listen to the book being read here by the author/illustrator: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZ5mRq9g4es 

Author: Corey R. Tabor is the author and illustrator of Snail Crossing, Fox and the Jumping Contest, Fox and the Bike Ride, Fox is Late, Fox versus Winter, and the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award-winning Fox the Tiger. Corey lives in Seattle with his wife and son and spends his time making pictures and stories. You can visit him online at www.coreytabor.com (quoted from the dust jacket). The author’s note says: Mel is a kingfisher. Kingfishers catch fish by diving into the water from tree branches or wires. Many kingfishers nest in tunnels they dig in earthen banks near water, while others nest in tree hollows (some even live in old termite nests). A young kingfisher probably doesn’t catch a fish the first time they leave the next. But then, Mel is a very special bird. 

Illustrator: Corey R. Tabor is also the illustrator of this sweet book. The art is done with pencil, colored pencil, and acylic paint. 

My opinion: This book is simply delightful! The story brings the reader to a desperate hope that Mel, the little bird falling by his own choice from the tree, will be safe. He gets offers of help all along his fall as various creatures desperately try to save him from his fall. But the book ends with all well, thankfully! The book is so creative in its format. You turn it sideways and read each page with the bird falling down and down and down, but then the story takes a turn and the pages literally take a turn as well. You turn the book the other way and follow little Mel as he flies up and up and up! Such a creative idea. I love the line, “As Mel flew by, the spider clapped her hands. All eight of them.” I can highly recommend this book for your youngest listeners, although older children will love it, too.

Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre, written by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Floyd Cooper

From the dust jacket: In the early 1900s, Tulsa, Oklahoma, was home to a thriving African American community. The Greenwood District had its own school system, libraries, churches, restaurants, post office, move theaters, and more. But all that would change in the course of two terrible, unspeakable days. On May 31 and June 1, 1921, a mob of armed white Tulsans attacked Greenwood. They looted homes and businesses and burned them to the ground as black families fled. The police did nothing to protect Greenwood, and as many as three hundred African Americans were killed. More than eight thousand were left homeless. News of the Tulsa Race Massacre—one of the worst incidents of racial violence in US history—was largely suppressed, and no official investigation occurred for seventy-five years.  Celebrated author Carole Boston Weatherford and acclaimed illustrator Floyd Cooper provide a sensitive and powerful introduction to the Tulsa Race Massacre, helping young readers understand the events of the past so we can move toward a better future for all. 

From the Amazon description: Celebrated author Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrator Floyd Cooper provide a powerful look at the Tulsa Race Massacre, one of the worst incidents of racial violence in our nation's history. The book traces the history of African Americans in Tulsa's Greenwood district and chronicles the devastation that occurred in 1921 when a white mob attacked the Black community. News of what happened was largely suppressed, and no official investigation occurred for seventy-five years. This picture book sensitively introduces young readers to this tragedy and concludes with a call for a better future. 

You can listen to the book read here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEQkRj5kRXk 

Awards: Besides being awarded the Caldecott Honor, this book has also received these awards: Coretta Scott King Book Awards for Author and Illustrator; A Sibert Honor Book; Longlisted for the National Book Award; A Kirkus Prize Finalist; A Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book; "A must-have"―Booklist (starred review)

Author: Carole Boston Weatherford is the author of numerous books, including Caldecott Honor winners Freedom in Congo Square, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie, Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Homer, Spirit of the Civil Rights Movements, illustrated by Ekua Holmes, and Moses: When Harriet Tubman Let Her People to Freedom, illustrated by Kadir Nelson. A Sibert Honor winner and two-time NAACO Image Award recipient, she won a Newbery Honor for Box: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom, illustrated by Michele Wood. Her writing spans the slavery and segregation eras and covers such topics as jazz and photography. When she’s not traveling or visiting museums, Carole is mining the past for family stories, fading traditions, and forgotten struggles. The daughter of educators, she has a passion for rescuing events and figures from obscurity by documenting American history. She lives in North Carolina. (quoted from the dust jacket). I have all of those titles mentioned here and find them worthy additions to the shelves of my library. Carole’s website for further information is https://cbweatherford.com/. Carole’s son Jeffery Weatherford is an illustrator with much recognition.

 Illustrator: Floyd Cooper received a Coretta Scott King Award for his illustrations for The Blacker the Berry and won Coretta Scott King honors for Brown Honey in Broom Wheat Tea, Meet Danitra Brown, and I Have Heard of a Land. He has illustrated numerous books, including Ruth and the Green Book by Calvin Alexander Ramsey. Born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, he first heard about the Tulsa Race Massacre from his grandfather, who survived it as a young man. Floyd now lives in Easton, Pennsylvania, with his wife and two sons. (quoted from the dust jacket). I love the illustrator’s personal connection to these events as told to him by his grandfather who experienced them. The illustrations were created using oil and erasure. The faces are passionate and full of emotion. 

My Opinion: The story of this event should be told and remembered by new generations. We must learn from the past. I’m always amazed at the actual connection people of today have with events from 100 years ago. My dear husband’s grandmother was delivered by a Civil War doctor! To think we have a link to someone of the 1860s is amazing! In this book, the illustrator Floyd Cooper learned of this event from a grandparent who lived through it. I think because of that, he so well drew the illustrations. It was part of his own heritage. And he explains more in the Illustrator’s Note as the end of the book. Yes, the book narrates that awful time, but it also ends with hope as it tells about Tulsa’s Reconciliation Park which remembers the victims as a place “to realize the responsibility we all have to reject hatred and violence and to instead choose hope.” The book includes an Author’s Note in which Weatherford tells of her own connection to the trauma of racism in her cousin’s life and other family members of her ancestry. Knowing these things led her to research the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 and to tell the story. And to further your understanding of this event and help your children learn, Download the free educator guide here: https://lernerbooks.com/download/unspeakableteachingguide

Have You Ever Seen a Flower, written and illustrator by Shawn Harris.

From the dust jacket: Have you ever seen a flower? Have you ever been a flower? 

From the Amazon description: Have You Ever Seen a Flower? is a beautiful exploration of perception, the environment, and humanity. This enchanting picture book explores the relationship between childhood and nature. In this simple yet profound story, one child experiences a flower with all five senses—from its color to its fragrance to the entire universe it evokes—revealing how a single flower can expand one's perspective in incredible ways.
CELEBRATION OF NATURE: Full of bright, stunning illustrations, Have You Ever Seen a Flower? reminds readers of all ages to appreciate the beauty of the world. 
INCREDIBLE TALENT: Have You Ever Seen a Flower? is the authorial debut of award-winning illustrator Shawn Harris. His previous illustrated books have garnered multiple awards and starred reviews, including Her Right Foot and What Can a Citizen Do (both by Dave Eggers), Everyone’s Awake by Colin Meloy, and A Polar Bear in the Snow by Mac Barnett.
CRITICS LOVE IT: This award-winning book has received praise from numerous esteemed publications. Highlights include: 
"[A] stunning tour de force."—The New York Times
"The pictures have a rich visual texture, vibrant color, and a naive style, which together imply a child as ostensible artist. This effect is well aligned with the playfully inquisitive text, with rhythm and repetition akin to books by Margaret Wise Brown and Ruth Krauss. . . . Have you ever seen a book quite like this? Not likely."—The Horn Book Magazine

You can listen to the book read here by the author/illustrator here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4tMuLaedQ0  (Also in this video, he does a drawing lesson on how to draw flowers. So fun!)

 Author/illustrator: Shawn Harris is an artist and musician who lives and works in Half Moon Bay, California. The first picture book he illustrated, Her Right Root, was the recipient of seven starred reviews. He is also the illustrator of What Can a Citizen Do? And Everyone’s Awake. This is his authorial debut. (quoted from the dust jacket). The illustrations in this book are done with pencil and colored pencil. His illustration style in the various books he’s illustrated are surprisingly varied with many different styles including cut-paper and more cartoon-like drawings. Very interesting. 

My Opinion: This is a poetic “story” of what a flower is like and what it would be like to be a flower. It describes the life of a flower and how similarly we have life. Flowers “drink” and have veins and grow and bloom, and so can you! “Have you ever felt a flower? Do a flower petal’s veins feel like the veins beneath your skin? Have you ever pricked your finger or fallen on  your knee and seen the brilliant color of your life?” And then the next page is all red, like your blood. I love how the book starts out with the black/white drawings of a city. Only the little girl is drawn in bright colors. Then the book explodes with bright colors as the girl runs through a field of flowers and begins to explore them. The drawings look similar to what a child would draw. This book is a celebration of life all around us and inspires children to explore nature. A worthy addition to your read-aloud time or your family library.

Wonder Walkers, written and illustrated by Micha Archer

From the dust jacket: Ready for a wonder walk? Well, then just head outside. Let your imagination soar and your curiosity run wild and soon you’ll be looking at the world in a whole new light. Micha Archer’s stunningly detailed collages bring the wonders of the natural world to vivid life and demonstrate the fun to be had in exploring its marvels.

 From the Amazon description: Micha Archer's gorgeous, detailed collages give readers a fresh outlook on the splendors of nature. When two curious kids embark on a "wonder walk," they let their imaginations soar as they look at the world in a whole new light. They have thought-provoking questions for everything they see: Is the sun the world's light bulb? Is dirt the world's skin? Are rivers the earth's veins? Is the wind the world breathing? I wonder . . . Young readers will wonder too, as they ponder these gorgeous pages and make all kinds of new connections. What a wonderful world indeed! 

The book is available on Kindle and Audible. 

Awards: Caldecott Honor 

You can listen to the book read here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JL5isUTsDWU 

You can listen to an interview with Archer here: https://www.michaarcher.com/interview-on-nepr 

Author/illustrator: Micha Archer wrote and illustrated Ezra Jack Keats Award winner Daniel Finds a Poem and its companion, Daniel’s Good Day, and has also illustrated several other picture books, including Girl Running (by Annette Bay Pimentel). Micha works in oil and collage on paper she creates with homemade stamps and layered tissue paper. She came from a long line of artists and teachers and taught for many years in a kindergarten. Raising two kids and teaching are where she cultivated her love for picture books and realized their importance as teaching tools. Micha lives in western Massachusetts in the house she and her husband built, surrounded by gardens and forests to roam in. (from the dust jacket) 

My Opinion: I love this book! Let’s get kids off the screens and outside to enjoy their surroundings. The children in this book think creatively in such interesting ways as they wonder and ponder. “Are branches trees’ arms? Are roots the plant’s toes? Do caves have mouths? Are rivers the earth’s veins?”  For older students, this would be a lovely introduction to the literary technique of personification. I highly recommend this beautiful book. Read it with your children and then go outside….and wonder!