Little House on the Prairie Reviews
In
this installment of the Little House series the Ingalls family (Pa,
Ma, Laura, Mary and baby Carrie) leaves their small house in the Big
Woods of Wisconsin and head for Kansas. Pa has made the decision to
relocate to Indian country due to overpopulation of the Big Woods.
Pa wants to live where animals roam free and aren't frightened away
by loud axes and shotguns. Although Ma wants to put off the move
until the warm weather arrives, Pa tells his family that they must
cross the Mississippi river before the ice cracks.
As the Ingalls move West they make camp in a new place each night. The Ingalls are faced with rainstorms, flooded land and swollen rivers. They endure a terrifying experience in which they attempt to cross a swiftly rising river and nearly lose their lives, as well as the lives of their horses, Pet and Patty. In all the hubbub, the family loses sight of their family dog, Jack, who they fear has drowned in the river. The Ingalls, and Laura in particular, are devastated by the loss of Jack. As the Ingalls make camp in the high prairie at nightfall Laura sees a wolf approaching and alerts Pa. Pa grabs his rifle and then realizes that the wolf is in fact Jack, who has managed to cross the river and track down his family. As Laura goes to bed that night she is full of contentment, reunited with her beloved Jack.
As the family continues their drive across the prairie Pa stops the wagon and announces that he will build their house in this exact location, not far from the Verdigris River. Log by log Pa builds their log cabin with the help of Ma, who gets a sprained foot when a log falls on her. Pa makes friends with Mr. Edwards, a kindly neighbor who is also building a log cabin for himself. Mr. Edwards pitches in and helps Pa finish the cabin in record time. That night Ma makes a delicious dinner and invites Mr. Edwards to stay for dinner as their guest. Pa breaks out his fiddle and Mr. Edwards dances along to the songs. One day Pa comes racing home on Patty and announces that he has just seen a pack of fifty wolves. Pa is clearly shaken by the experience but he tries to downplay it so as not to frighten the children. Rather than talk about the wolves, Pa tells the family that he has met new neighbors who live six miles away and that he has spotted many Indians in the area. Laura is fascinated by the idea of Indians and yearns to see a papoose. That night Laura is awoken by the loud sound of howling wolves. As she looks out her window with Pa they see half a dozen wolves staring back at them. As Laura settles back to sleep Pa tells her that he and Jack will keep their family safe from the wolves.
As the Ingalls continue to set up house Mary and
Laura explore their environment, spending their days chasing snakes
and playing in the wild grass. One morning as Pa goes out hunting he
chains up Jack so that he will not follow him. He advises Laura and
Mary not to unchain Jack, no matter what. That afternoon as Laura
and Mary are playing outside they see two Indians arrive at their
log cabin and walk inside their house as bold as brass. Mary and
Laura are filled with fear and rage. Although Pa has instructed them
not to unchain Jack under any circumstances they realize that their
Ma and Carrie may be in grave danger.
By: Sandra Calhoune of allreaders.com
Children's Literature
As a consummate fan of Laura Ingles Wilder's wonderful series of books, I
am reluctant to endorse their being dissected and repackaged.
However, this publication is possibly expanding her audience to a
younger crowd, and it is very well done. As a picture book, the
illustrations play a much greater role than they do in the
originals. Inspired by Garth Williams, the artist for the original
series, the illustrator has mimicked his style beautifully. We feel
right at home with these images. Laura, Ma, Pa, Mary and Carrie are
searching for a place to build a house. They are travel across the
plains in a covered wagon until they find a good spot, and then a
house is built. There is even a new friend who helps with the
construction.
Library Journal (audio review)
Gr 3-6-Laura Ingalls Wilder fans will rejoice at the fine presentation of
her novels in audio format. Cherry Jones brings to life Pa, Ma, Laura, and
all the other characters. Performed at the right tempo for the intended
audience, Jones changes her voice just enough for each character so they
can easily be distinguished. Singing period songs as Pa, exclaiming with
delight over some new discovery as Laura, or gently scolding as Ma, Jones
keeps listeners entranced.
Pa's fiddle music, performed by Paul Woodiel, enhances the presentation. As with the print versions, putting the books' content into the context of events which happened over 100 years ago will help intermediate students understand why a song about "darkeys" would be included (Little House in the Big Woods), and why certain attitudes toward minorities, particularly Native Americans, are acceptable to the characters in the books.-.Judy Czarnecki, Chippewa River District Library System, Mt. Pleasant, MI Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Pictured on top is "Little House" fan, Melissa holding her copy of "Little House on the Prairie" by Laura Ingalls Wilder and posed in pioneer attire.
