Buffalo Wild!

August 15, 2021
A young boy yearns for the return of wild buffalo, and his vivid dreams bring them back to the prairie where they belong. Declan longs to see majestic herds of buffalo like those in the stories his grandmother tells. He wishes he could feel how "the whole world trembled" when millions of buffalo still roamed the land. Kokum explains that "now...those Buffalo live in the sky" but says they will return someday. "I wish those Buffalo would draw near and come home," Declan says, and during a starry night lit by the full moon, his imagination allows him to free the "wild, wonderful beasts" from captivity. But the creatures wreak havoc on Kokum's garden, and Declan realizes he has no way to control the chaos. "This land must have been less crowded a long time ago," reflects Declan, and he calls on the Creator to take the wild animals back, even though "without the Buffalo, the prairie didn't seem nearly as wild." Through Kokum and Declan, Havrelock (Saddle Lake Cree Nation) explores the importance of buffalo to Indigenous peoples, while illustrator Whitecalf (Plains Cree) uses bold shades of blue, red, and violet to create a child's view of mysterious nighttime imaginings. Both text and illustrations carefully situate characters in the here and now with details such as Kokum's smartphone and yoga gazebo. The 2014 Buffalo Treaty is appended. A satisfying ending ensures this nighttime adventure will soothe even the wildest child. (author's note) (Picture book. 4-7)

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August 1, 2021
Preschool-Grade 2 Young Declan has always loved buffalo and Kokum (Grandmother) tells him that although buffalo now live in the sky, one day they will return to earth. That night he is awakened to bison stampeding across the sky, through an open gate, and into Declan's yard, where they storm Kokum's garden and generally wreak havoc. Sensing that things are a bit too ""buffalo wild,"" Declan calls on Creator for help, and soon the shaggy herd (minus one or two) is headed skyward again. Havrelock's (Saddle Lake Cree) story celebrates the return of buffalo from near extinction and honors the Buffalo Treaty, an agreement between several Indigenous groups to promote this species. Whitecalf's (Plains Cree) fanciful full-bleed illustrations employ shades of red, blue, and green, and aptly convey the story's playfulness. Cultural signifiers, especially in the characters' decorative arts, are embedded throughout, as are contemporary touches: Declan opens the sky gate with his lacrosse stick, and Kokum sleeps wearing earbuds. Appended with a copy of the Buffalo Treaty, this should appeal to buffalo aficionados.

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October 1, 2021

PreS-Gr 3-The story of Declan, a young boy, his kokum-grandmother-and buffalo. Kokum explains how the buffalo roamed freely with their ancestors, but now live in the sky. When Declan gets ready for bed he imagines the buffalo returning and the "wild, wonderful beasts" getting into mischief. The book shares similarities with Maurice Sendak's classic Where the Wild Things Are in the way it combines a curious imagination and a wild rumpus of mischievous beasts. Soothing illustrations by Whitecalf (a member of the Plains Cree) draw readers into Declan's dreamlike world and their own evening with the buffalo. Haverlock, an enrolled member of the Saddle Lake Cree Nation, ends by explaining the Buffalo Treaty, a 2014 document that promotes cooperation, renewal, and restoration with Indigenous peoples. VERDICT This title offers a great learning opportunity, providing a better understanding of the importance of animals from an Indigenous point of view.-Danielle Burbank, Farmington, NM

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