Review by Booklist Review
Ray begins her biography of Sarah Winnemucca with an 1883 speech Sarah gave in Christ Church, Philadelphia. Interspersing selected quotes from that speech into her own third-person narrative, Ray presents Sarah's life from her birth as Thocmetony in 1844 to her death in 1871. Early in Sarah's life, her grandfather recognized her innate ability to grasp languages and encouraged her to learn English. She did but then found herself caught between two worlds the whites and the Paiutes and not appreciated by either. Throughout, Sarah remained a peacemaker, although her attempts were often met with deceit and heartbreak. Ray's descriptive language and her evocative mixed-media illustrations combine to create a moving story. Especially captivating are the paintings depicting the harshness with which the Paiutes contended. Significant back matter, including a hand-drawn colored map, concludes.--Petty, J. B. Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Pulling from rich source materials and including selections from Thocmetony Winnemucca's writings, Ray honors the remarkable Native American activist from the Paiute tribe of Nevada. When white settlers colonize Paiute land, Winnemucca's grandfather, Chief Truckee, advocates for her to learn English and white customs. But as Paiute people are massacred and forced onto reservations, Winnemucca (1844-1891) uses her skills as an orator, writer, and dramatic performer to spread awareness about the unjust treatment of natives. Powerful language and blazing orange, earth, and jewel-toned chalk drawings create a stirring testament to one individual's conviction. Ages 8-up. Agent: George Nicholson, Sterling Lord Literistic. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-6-Ray's biography (Farrar, Straus, 2012) provides a compelling look at a lesser-known historical figure. Sarah Winnemucca of the Paiute tribe was a determined advocate for her Native American people in the mid- to late-1800s. With gripping detail, the atrocities and injustices committed by military leaders and tribal agents are presented. In stark contrast, characters sympathetic to Sarah's cause are also introduced. Set against the backdrop of the forty-niners and the silver mining stampede, the story is presented with rich detail and direct quotes. The use of two narrators-Christina Moore and Angela Lin-effectively emphasizes when Sarah's actual words are used. Sarah's aptitude for languages and learning at a young age enabled her to straddle the white man's world and her Native American world. Motivated by her grandfather's efforts to connect peaceably with "the newcomers," Sarah wrote persuasive letters and made powerful speeches on behalf of her people. Ray's beautiful chalk drawings bring listeners into a time often overlooked in history. The book includes archival photographs, a timeline, maps, and author's notes. This inspiring story of a woman of conviction deserves a space on every library's shelf.-Terri Perper, Middletown Public Library, MD (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Knowing that white people loved their romantic notions about Indians, nineteenth-century Native rights advocate Sarah Winnemucca sometimes dressed in beads and buckskins and called herself "Princess Sarah" just to attract an audience. What she did to gain publicity had little to do with the realities of her life, but it was one of the only ways she could get people to pay attention to the plight of the Northern Paiute and to the dishonesty of the Bureau of Indian Affairs agents who had been entrusted with their welfare. She used her formal education and her fluency in English (both unusual for Native women of her time) to make speeches, write letters, circulate petitions, and travel to Washington DC to appeal to government officials. Rays evenhanded account of the key events in Winnemuccas life is denser and longer than most picture-book biographies, but there is still plenty of room for her dramatic full-color illustrations. Direct quotes in the text come from Winnemuccas autobiography (the first published book by a Native American woman) and her letters. Back matter includes a detailed map; brief information about the Northern Paiute, Winnemuccas trip to Washington, and the establishment of her school for Paiute children; an authors note; a timeline; and a bibliography of resources for further reading. kathleen t. horning(c) Copyright 2012. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Sarah Winnemucca's fearless determination along with her talent for languages and her commitment to education for her people made her a striking spokesperson, lecturer and educator. Ray's biography encompasses Winnemucca's life from childhood through her work with the Peabody School she founded in 1885 in Lovelock, Nev. The heartbreak and challenges Sarah's Paiute people experienced as gold and silver mining brought English-speaking settlers in droves to the Great Basin of Utah, Nevada and California form the core of the narrative. A picture-book trim size allows for substantial blocks of text to accompany Ray's luminous full-page paintings, each focusing on a chapter of Winnemucca's life. Quotations from Winnemucca's autobiography as well as from other contemporary writings augment the account. Extensive backmatter offers more information about Winnemucca's life (Ray explains that the term "princess" was conferred by white journalists) and her people, extending the range for this work well into middle school. The lack of page numbers or index is a slight problem for navigating back through the work, but the clarity of the narrative will make this an excellent read-aloud for older listeners. A compelling introduction to an extraordinary leader. (author's note, map, timeline, bibliography) (Biography. 9-13)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
