Prairie Dog Pioneers

by Jo Harper, Josephine Harper (Illustrator)

Like water on parched ground, Mae Dean's happiness dries up when her father announces the family is headed west for a new life on the Texas Panhandle. Her brothers are excited about the move, but Mae Dean doesn't want to leave home and make a new one literally out of the ground. In a poignant confrontation, she lashes out at her father, and he comforts her with gentle words of reassurance. Colorful linoleum-cut block prints illustrate the story.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

44 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1998

About the author

Jo Harper grew up in the Texas Panhandle riding horses and eating jalapeño peppers. She comes from a long line of Texas tellers, and is herself a dynamic storyteller, especially of tall tales. Her books, some of which are co-written with her daughter,range from baby books to young adult novels.Her young adult novel, DELFINO'S JOURNEY, won the Western Heritage Wrangler award. PRAIRIE DOG PIONEERS won the Willa Award. OUTRAGEOUS, BODACIOUS BOLIVER BOGGS was an A.B.A. Pick of the List book and was presented on PBS Storytime. JALAPENO HAL was a Book-of-the-Month Club selection, as was I COULD EAT YOU UP! She has taught for many years at all levels, first grade though college. She presents to all grade levels, and her lively, entertaining programs subtly teach reading and writing skills as well as values. She received a NEH grant to study the fusion of visual and verbal art at Columbia University. She also studied in Spain and Mexico.Her books include fiction, biography, tall tales, and history, and are set in Texas and Mexico.

Reviews

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's funny: we picked this up to read it just days after reading the part in Little House on the Prairie in which Laura and Mary attempt to catch on of the many prairie dogs near their homestead while Pa is building their house. We all thought of that after reading the title.

The illustrations in this lack the detail and vibrancy that would make them more engaging to young readers/listeners who are sitting patiently through a fair amount of text before the next page turn. For that reason, it is probably better for older children rather than younger. Mine were 9 at the time of reading and were okay, but even a year or two ago, I'm not sure they could have sat through it. Could be a good addition to a Westward Expansion study.

[Mely · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars
First I'll say the illustrations very interesting in this book. This story is a little complex and therefore I would only recommend it for older Elementary School students and up. Story was a little hard to get into at first, but towards the end you start to understand the feelings going on in Mae Dean's head. Story has a heartwarming ending.

[Kylie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was given to us by one a dearly sweet neighbor and her husband whom we love! We are in the process of moving out of state, and Hallie (age 5) is having a hard time with it. It is a perfect book, and made me cry. Such a sweet gift, perfect for the circumstances.