Buffalo Song

By Joseph Bruchac, Bill Farnsworth
Paperback: $11.95

The story of Salish Indian Walking Coyote and his efforts to save the vanishing buffalo herds from extinction in the United States during the 1870s and 1880s.

Description

Hetcha hey Hetcha ho Hetcha hey yeh ho Walking Coyote gently lifted the frightened buffalo calf and sang softly. Lone survivor of a herd slaughtered by white hunters, the calf was one of several buffalo orphans Walking Coyote adopted and later raised on the Flathead Indian Reservaton in Montana.

For thousands of years massive herds of buffalo roamed across much of North America, but by the 1870s fewer than fifteen hundred animals remained. Hunted to the brink of extinction, the buffalo were in danger of vanishing. With reverent care, Walking Coyote and his family endeavored to bring back the buffalo herds, one magnificent creature at a time.

Here is the inspiring story of the first efforts to save the buffalo, an animal sacred to Native Americans and a powerful symbol of the American West. From the foresight and dedication of a few individuals such as Walking Coyote came the eventual survival of these majestic animals, one of the great success stories of endangered species rescue in United States history.

About the Creators

Joseph Bruchac

Joseph Bruchac, a citizen of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation, is the author of more than 100 books for children and teens, including multiple picture books published by Lee & Low Books, and the young adult Killer of Enemies trilogy, which received a starred review from Kirkus Reviews. A Rockefeller Fellow and an NEA Poetry Writing Fellow, Bruchac has received numerous recognitions and awards over his long-standing career. In addition to writing, Bruchac is an editor at Greenfield Review Press, a literary publishing house he co-founded with his wife. He lives in Greenfield Center, New York. To find out more about him, visit josephbruchac.com.

Bill Farnsworth

Bill Farnsworth is the illustrator of more than fifty children's books. His work has received numerous awards and honors, including Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, American Bookseller Pick of the Lists, and selection for the Society of Illustrators Original Art Show. Farnsworth's warmly-lit oil paintings gracefully illuminate the Maine landscape and Sockalexis's days on the baseball diamond. Farnsworth lives with his family in Venice, Florida. Visit him online at billfarnsworth.com.

Awards

  • Horace Mann Upstanders Children's Literature Award Honor

    Antioch University

  • Reading Circle Recommended Reading List

    Missouri State Teachers Association

  • William Allen White Children's Book Award

    Emporia State University

  • Charlotte Awards Recommended

    New York State Reading Association

Reviews

  • "The gentle narrative eloquently conveys the beauty and importance of this animal; though there is a bit of adventure during the journey, the heart of the tale is the respect and commitment shown toward the buffalo by Walking Coyote and others. The orphaned calf became the herd's leader, and her courageous actions represent the spirit of the species. Richly atmospheric oil paintings capture the magnificence of the creatures, the kindness of the people, and the beauty of the surrounding landscapes."

    - School Library Journal
  • "Drenched in nature's colors, the images of the Salish, the landscape and the animals illuminate this historical account as Farnsworth's magnificent panoramic scenes capture the grassy pastures and valley that came to be home to the rescued bison. A first buy for public and school libraries."

    - Kirkus Reviews
  • "Superbly brought to life with soft full-color illustrations, Buffalo Song carries a timeless message of conservation and respect."

    - Midwest Book Review

Paperback

  • ISBN 9781600609909
  • Price $11.95
  • Publication Date Mar 15, 2014
  • Trim Size 10.5 × 8.75 in
  • Weight 0.3125 lbs
  • Page Count 40
  • Word Count 2392
  • Hardcover

  • ISBN 9781584302803
  • Price $18.95
  • Publication Date Mar 15, 2014
  • Trim Size 11 × 9.5 in
  • Weight 1.1875 lbs
  • Page Count 40
  • Word Count 2392
  • Interests

  • Imprint Lee & Low Books
  • Audience Children
  • BISAC Category 1 JNF / People & Places / United States / Native American
  • BISAC Category 2 JNF / Animals / Endangered
  • BISAC Category 3 JNF / History / United States / 19th Century
  • Themes Animals, Biography / Memoir, Environment / Nature, History & Civics, Human Impact On Environment / Environmental Sustainability, Indigenous / First Nations / Native American, Informational / Expository Nonfiction, Nonfiction, Respect / Citizenship, United States History
  • Reading Levels

  • Age Range Ages 6 - 11
  • Grade Range Grades 1 - 6
  • Guided Reading U
  • ATOS Book Level 4.9
  • DRA 44
  • Interest Level Grades 1 - 6
  • Lexile Level 640
  • Reading Level Grades 4 - College
  • SRC 4.7
  • Bebop Reading Fluent
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