Crazy Horse's Vision - Hardcover

Bruchac, Joseph

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1880000946 ISBN 13: 9781880000946

Publisher: Lee & Low Books, 2000

Synopsis

Crazy Horse is among the best known Native American heroes. Yet many people do not know his boyhood name was Curly, inspired by his curly hair.

Curly was a leader even as a young boy, taming wild horses and hunting powerful buffalo. But all his bravery could not prepare him for the trouble he and the other Lakota Indians would face with the white settlers. Wanting to help his people after a fierce battle that mortally wounded Chief Conquering Bear, Curly defied traditional custom and risked his own life by running away, up to the hills, to seek a vision.

Renowned Abenaki author Joseph Bruchac tells a gripping and compelling story of how the dedicated young boy, Curly, grows into the brave warrior Crazy Horse. Sioux artist S.D. Nelson, with paintings inspired by the ledger book style of the Plains Indians, evokes the drama and tragedy of an important figure in American history.

About this title

Reviews

Kindergarten-Grade 5-Crazy Horse is the revered Lakota warrior who defeated General Custer during the Battle of Little Bighorn. Bruchac provides this information and much more in an author's note, but the main narrative involves scenes of his subject's youth. He presents details from oral history, such as "Curly's" quiet nature, early leadership skills, and vision quest. The boy sought divine inspiration after his tribe was invaded by white settlers; the vision, which taught him to "Keep nothing for yourself," was to guide him throughout his life. Nelson's note acknowledges the influence of his ancestors' ledger-book style on his acrylic paintings executed on wood panels. The artist uses stylized figures, symbolic color, and texture to create dynamic scenes. While there are many stylistic similarities to Nelson's art in Gift Horse (Abrams, 1999), here the artist has a stronger sense of book design, and takes better advantage of double-page spreads, full bleeds, and tight croppings. Older children will appreciate comparing the images to the 19th-century ledger-book drawings reproduced in Russell Freedman's The Life and Death of Crazy Horse (Holiday, 1996). A fine introduction to a hero long overlooked.
Wendy Lukehart, Dauphin County Library, Harrisburg, PA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

As he did in Gift Horse, Sioux artist Nelson blends contemporary and traditional elements for the striking illustrations that accompany this story of the legendary Lakota warrior. Bruchac (A Boy Called Slow: The True Story of Sitting Bull) traces Crazy Horse's boyhood, zeroing in on a pivotal event in his life and highlighting an important Native American rite of passage. As a youth, Crazy Horse (then known as Curly) witnesses U.S. Army soldiers brutally and unjustly attack his people. Troubled, he embarks on a vision quest and sees a figure on horseback riding untouched through a storm of lightning, hail and bullets. His father interprets the vision, telling him that "the man on that horse is the one you will become" and that he is destined to defend his people. Bruchac's description of the vision quest is compelling, and his decision to limit his canvas to a few select events demonstrates his understanding of his audience; an afterword describes subsequent events in the warrior's life. Endmatter also illuminates Nelson's approach. The artist explains his approximations of the Plains Indians' traditional ledger-book style (characterized by indistinct facial expressions and flat, two-dimensional figures) and his symbolic use of color (Crazy Horse is painted blue, representative of a connection with the spirit world). His sweeping vistas and somewhat ghostly textured brushwork bolster the book's visionary theme. Ages 6-up. (May)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Bruchac (Sacajawea, 2000, etc.) teams up with a Lakota (Sioux) artist for an atmospheric view of the feared and revered Crazy Horse’s youth. At birth, the child dubbed “Curly” did not cry, but “studied the world with serious eyes,” quietly going on to lead all of the other youths in courage and, having watched his people being gunned down for killing a “wasichu” settler's errant cow, slipping away on a premature vision quest. His stormy vision of a rider with a lightning bolt on his cheek, spots like hail on his chest, and a clear, if unspoken, command to “keep nothing for yourself,” led him to become a man as noble as he was brilliant and daring. Inspired by the ledger-book art of the Plains Indians, Nelson paints his figures with stylized forms, chiseled features, and indistinct expressions, adding realistic depth of field but giving Crazy Horse blue skin to emphasize his connection to the spirit world. The author and illustrator both append substantial explanatory notes. Like A Boy Called Slow, also by Bruchac (1995), this makes inspirational reading and affords a glimpse into the heart of a renowned American leader. (Picture book/biography. 9-11) -- Copyright © 2000 Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Gr. 2^-4, younger for reading aloud. Crazy Horse, famous Lakota warrior and leader during the mid-1800s, was different even as a child. He was called Curly because of his curly hair, and he was small in stature and quiet. He was, however, a natural leader, inspiring others with his bravery and generosity. After witnessing white soldiers kill Conquering Bear, the 14-year-old Curly went into the hills to seek a vision. After three days, the vision appeared, but his father and uncle would not listen because Curly had not prepared himself in the traditional manner. Three years later, his father asked Curly about the vision, and as a result, gave his son the name Tashunka Witco, or Crazy Horse. Bruchac has created a memorable tale about Crazy Horse's childhood, capturing the spirit of one of the most dedicated and daring leaders among the Lakota. In beautiful illustrations inspired by the ledger book style of the Plains Indians, Sioux artist Nelson fills the pages with both action and quiet drama. An author's note provides information about Crazy Horse's adult years and death, and an illustrator's note explains the art. Karen Hutt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Lee & Low Books
• Publication date: 2000
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1880000946
• ISBN 13: 9781880000946
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Nelson S. D.
• Number of pages: 40