Mule Train Mail - Hardcover

Brown, Craig

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 158089187X ISBN 13: 9781580891875

Publisher: Charlesbridge, 2009

Synopsis

"Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds."

While working on this book, Craig Brown traveled to the Grand Canyon to observe the only mule train delivery route in the United States. MULE TRAIN MAIL introduces readers to Anthony Paya, who wears a cowboy hat, chaps, and spurs, and leads a train of mules on a daily three-hour trek down into the Grand Canyon to bring mail to the townspeople of Supai.

About this title

About the Author

Craig Brown was raised in a small farming community, and his art reflects his experiences growing up in the rural Midwest. Craig has illustrated many children's books, including THE TALKING BIRD AND THE STORY POUCH (Harper) and CITY SOUNDS (Greenwillow). He lives in Manitou Springs, Colorado.

Visit Craig online at www.craigbrownbooks.com.

Review

In some remote pockets of Arizona, the postman wears a cowboy hat and leads a mule train. The front endpaper illustration traces the mail route through the Grand Canyon. At the South Rim of the Canyon, boxes of mail are transferred from a Postal Service truck to the saddlepacks of Anthony the postman's six mules. He rides a horse and has an eager dog to help guide him along the zipzagging trail full of sharp switchbacks. A succession of double-page spreads that need to be turned 90 degrees for proper viewing emphasizes the steep descent of the route. Deep mud, ice and flash floods make the trail treacherous, but never prevent Anthony from completing his route, which is narrated in a simple, concrete present tense. At length, the mule train reaches its destination, the village of Supai, tucked into a green valley where Anthony unloads the mail and--because Supai is also Anthony's home--his family greets him. Brown's illustrations, in pastel and colored pencil, look appropriately sun-washed. Informative as well as evocative, and told with crisp clarity. --Kirkus Reviews

In this engaging text, Brown relates the daily trip made by Anthony the Postman from the top of the Grand Canyon to the village of Supai far below on the canyon floor. Wearing a cowboy hat, chaps, and spurs, he leads a train of mules carrying letters and packages, along with groceries, water, clothes, and even computers down the steep trail through all types of weather conditions, for the mail must go through. An author's note gives additional details that children will appreciate, including the fact that it takes three hours to make the eight-mile trip from the south rim to the village, located on the Havasupai Indian Reservation. He also describes the expedition he made with Anthony Paya, lead muleteer, to appreciate firsthand the journey and the rigors of the landscape. Brown's wonderful pastel and colored pencil illustrations are a testament to the time he spent on the trail. Readers will feel that they are experiencing the heat and dust as well as the beautiful flora and fauna of the region. Shifting perspectives (the book must be held vertically for trail scenes) add to the drama by providing a sense of the canyon's awesome size while close-ups of the mules highlight the animals important role. A fascinating and informative addition --School Library Journal

There's one place left in the United States where the mail is delivered by mule train: from the rim of the Grand Canyon a mile down to Supai, on the Havasupai Indian Reservation. The mules carry letters and packages, along with groceries, water, clothes and even computers, Brown writes, and neither 100-degree heat nor ice has ever stopped the trip. In the village, there are no cars; only mules and horses. In dusty brown pastels, he draws a quietly fascinating picture of a rare way of life. --New York Times Book Review

Neither snow, nor sleet, nor rain, nor dark of night stops the mail. But what happens to its delivery when there are no roads? In the remote contemporary community of Supai, located on the Havasupai Indian Reservation in Arizona at the base of the Grand Canyon, muleteers deliver the mail, working their way down the treacherous trails with a convoy of mules hauling letters, food, and packages. The yellows, browns, and rust colors of the landscape radiate the heat from the surrounding canyon; the palette changes to whites and blues to convey the danger of driving rain and sleet. The book opens with Anthony the postman (he "doesn't wear a uniform. He wears a cowboy hat, chaps, and spurs") loading the mules at the top of the canyon. Even in the close-up illustrations, the wide, open expanses of big sky country peek through the horizon, setting the panoramic scene. In vivid contrast to the opening and closing horizontal spreads, Brown depicts the winding trail vertically, adding to the drama of the trip and the potential danger to both men and beasts. An author's note provides details about the process as well as an account of Brown's own expedition with the Supai letter carriers. --The Horn Book Magazine

In some remote pockets of Arizona, the postman wears a cowboy hat and leads a mule train. The front endpaper illustration traces the mail route through the Grand Canyon. At the South Rim of the Canyon, boxes of mail are transferred from a Postal Service truck to the saddlepacks of Anthony the postman's six mules. He rides a horse and has an eager dog to help guide him along the zipzagging trail full of sharp switchbacks. A succession of double-page spreads that need to be turned 90 degrees for proper viewing emphasizes the steep descent of the route. Deep mud, ice and flash floods make the trail treacherous, but never prevent Anthony from completing his route, which is narrated in a simple, concrete present tense. At length, the mule train reaches its destination, the village of Supai, tucked into a green valley where Anthony unloads the mail and--because Supai is also Anthony's home--his family greets him. Brown's illustrations, in pastel and colored pencil, look appropriately sun-washed. Informative as well as evocative, and told with crisp clarity. --Kirkus Reviews

About this edition

• Publisher: Charlesbridge
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 158089187X
• ISBN 13: 9781580891875
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 36