Buffalo Dreams
In Native American legend, White Buffalo Calf Woman saved a tribe from starvation and, according to an opening author's note, when a rare white buffalo was born in 1994, many people traveled long distances to honor the sacred calf. In Doner's (The Buffalo in the Mall) pilgrimage story, Sarah Bearpaw and her family decide to pay their respects to the newborn white buffalo calf they have seen on TV. The climax shows Sarah saving her brother from the protective mother buffalo when he attempts to "touch magic" (pet the calf). Though the scene seems a bit abrupt, it serves its purpose: Sarah ultimately gets to touch the calf, while the painting of the sacred white creature emerging from the shadows emanates its legendary significance. The overwritten prose may drive the point home a bit too hard ("Maybe magic doesn't make you do something special. Maybe you do something special, and it makes magic"), yet readers will come away with the understanding that such spiritual exchanges require a willingness on both sides. The realistic artwork is hampered by a cartoonish treatment of the overeager brother, but such engaging touches as vaguely bison-shaped white clouds and a tight close-up of the limpid-eyed calf that practically puts the fluffy creature in readers' laps compensate. The book ends with a brief retelling of the legend (an excellent in-depth example is Paul Goble's Lakota retelling, The Legend of the White Buffalo Woman) and instructions for making a dreamcatcher. Ages 7-up.Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.