School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-4-In Oklahoma in the late 1880s and '90s, would-be settlers were offered free land if they staked a claim on a designated day and agreed to farm it for five years, after which they owned it outright. Narrated by young Moses, this story follows a black family from Baltimore who risk everything and suffer many tribulations in order to get to the Oklahoma territory line. When the older members of the family are incapacitated for various reasons, it falls to Moses to retrieve the family's fortunes and race to stake the claim with his grandfather's handkerchief tied to a pole. This history of a unique and interesting part of the settling of the West is illustrated in beautiful paintings of warm, soft browns, yellows, and blues that complement the narrative, together creating a fascinating look at the past. It's a handsome, oversize volume that is certainly worthy of consideration by most collections to enhance a unit on Western history and an understanding of an important facet of African-American history, as well.-Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
An African-American lad saves his family's bacon in a tale set during the Great Oklahoma Land Run. Struggling to make ends meet and hearing of a chance for a fresh start out west, Moses's father trades in his fish stall for a wagon, and packs up the extended family for the long journey from Baltimore to Oklahoma. Overcoming obstacles both natural and human, the hopeful clan arrives to join the huge crowd at the starting line--but in the mad scramble after the gun goes off, Moses' father breaks his leg when the wagon plunges into an unseen stream bed. It's up to Moses, then, to take one of the horses and a handkerchief marker and ride ahead to choose and stake a good claim. Ellison provides painterly, full-page illustrations of dark-skinned, grave-looking figures in period dress, captures the drama of the hard gallop at the climax and closes with an aerial view of the handkerchief waving atop a pole over a cluster of farm buildings. Actually, as the author points out in his foreword (where he also briefly alludes to the hardships suffered by Native-American groups in the Oklahoma Territory), there were five Land Runs between 1889 and 1895; here he presents a composite to highlight the fact that many African-Americans seized the chance to start new lives. (Picture book. 8-10) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
This addition to the picture-book Tales of Young Americans series follows Moses, a young African American boy, and his family as they endure hardships traveling by wagon from their home in Baltimore to the Oklahoma territory, hoping to claim some of the free farmland being offered as part of the Oklahoma Land Run. When the wagon is disabled in the land rush and his father breaks his leg, Moses continues alone on horseback, claiming the land by burying his father's handkerchief in the ground. Whether they are portraits or action scenes, the painterly illustrations are beautifully rendered. The impact of the harsh environment is clearly depicted as the family moves from the city and travels westward, where landscapes sweep across the pages. Children caught up in the action will be relieved when Moses and his family successfully stake a claim.--Enos, Randall Copyright 2007 Booklist