School Library Journal Review
Gr 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 (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
This first-person text recounts the story of the first Thanksgiving from a Native American viewpoint. Squanto's tale is told with respect and dignity, without glossing over the more difficult aspects of his life or the relationship between the native inhabitants and the colonists. The gouache paintings display a proud Native American past. Glos. From HORN BOOK Spring 2001, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Does every child need a book on every subject in which the facts are set within a fictional frame? Young children and unwary adults, too, may be confused by what is fiction and what is fact, despite Bruchacs excellent historical note (which is well beyond the textual level of the main story). The note is meant for the adult, but the attractive book will catch the young reader with its generous, full, facing-page gouaches, albeit somewhat static in its autumnal colors. The paintings depict the characters portrayed in a text that sketches the life of Squanto (Tisquantum before his capture from the Virginia region and his kidnap to Europe). Upon his return to the New World, he landed in a new colony that was to become New England. Bruchac lets Squanto tell his story and the story of the first Thanksgiving in the New World as well as his interactions with the Pilgrims. Important details about what people wore (and didnt wear) and what was eaten (and what wasnt) abound. The story is eminently readable, thanks to a clear, widely leaded typeface, but if the notes and glossary are not consulted, confusion about names, tribes, and geography will remain. A map of Squantos travels and the homelands of the native groups would be of enormous assistance, as would a pronouncing glossary since some of the terms may be difficult for youngand olderreaders. Nonetheless, every teacher and librarian who works with school-age children will want to purchase this less-than-perfect book because it offers two important topicsNative Americans and the first Thanksgiving in the New Worldfrom a noteworthy storyteller. (Fiction. 6-9)
Booklist Review
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
