Product Description

In 1620 an English ship called the Mayflower landed on the shores inhabited by the Pokanoket, and it was Squanto who welcomed the newcomers and taught them how to survive. When a good harvest was gathered, the people feasted together--a tradition that continues almostfour hundred years later.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #145131 in Books
• Published on: 2007-09-01
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: .12" h x 10.22" w x 9.00" l, .35 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 32 pages

From Amazon.com
Most American children know the story of the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving, but the Native American side of the tale is far less familiar. Joseph Bruchac, a prolific and award-winning author of Native American descent (The First Strawberries, A Boy Called Slow) describes life in 1620 for a man who was destined to save the Pilgrims even as he was losing his family and tribe. Told from Squanto's point of view, this historically accurate and detailed story brings to life one of the most important moments in America's past. Demonstrating how much his people (the Patuxet, the People of the Falls) value honor, Squanto befriends English traders, even after being kidnapped and taken to Spain. After much hard work, Squanto manages to sail back to his homeland, where, in spite of his discovery that many of his people have died from disease brought by white people, he acts as envoy between the English and his own people, and helps the pilgrims survive in their new world.

Throughout this moving tale, Squanto's belief that "these men can share our land as friends" poignantly shines through. Greg Shed's gouache illustrations capture the warmth and dignity of Squanto and his friends. Young readers will be fascinated by this lesser-known perspective on the Thanksgiving tradition that remains strong today. (Ages 6 to 10) --Emilie Coulter

From School Library Journal
Grade 2-5-A picture book that focuses on the young Indian who helped the Pilgrims survive the brutality of the New England winter. When he was 24, an English captain abducted Squanto along with 20 of his tribesmen and took them to Spain to be sold as slaves. Spanish friars helped him escape to England where he learned the language and dreamed of going back to his native land. When he finally returned, he served as translator and mediator between the English colonists and the other Indian tribes. He convinced Samoset, a sachem of the Pemaquid, to accept and work with the white settlers. It was this cooperation that helped the tiny Plymouth Colony to survive. Many authors have given the Native American credit for his role in the survival of the colony. What distinguishes this first-person account is the authenticity of detail. In his author's note, Bruchac describes the research that he used to flesh out the story with dates and names. However, because of the wealth of facts, the text has a stilted quality. Shed's full-page gouache illustrations are beautifully executed in golden, autumnal tones. There is a richness of detail in the pictures that echoes the passion for historical accuracy in costume and interior-and-exterior dwellings. However, the full-bled illustrations tend to overwhelm the text and the uniformity of their size and placement can become somewhat tedious. Still, most libraries will want to own this version.
Barbara Buckley, Rockville Centre Public Library, NY
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Gr. 4-8. The history is fascinating--the crucial role played by the Patuxet Indian Squanto, who helped the first New England colony survive--but it doesn't work very well in this picture book. The long, first-person, fictionalized narrative is awkwardly contrived to bring in the facts, and the full-page gouache paintings are romanticized, with all the noble Native Americans bathed in a golden glow. The facts are exciting, and Bruchac and Shed have painstakingly researched the events and the details, from the food served at the first Thanksgiving feast to the clothing worn by the Pilgrims ("Not hats with buckles on them!" Bruchac exclaims in his long, informative author's note). Squanto survived captivity and slavery in Europe, then he returned to play a crucial role as mediator in New England, living in the world of the whites and of several Indian nations. Older readers will want to go from here to find out more about the fascinating man and about the history from the Native American viewpoint. Hazel Rochman
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