The Legend of the White Buffalo Woman
by Paul Goble
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A Lakota Indian legend in which the White Buffalo Woman presents her people with the Sacred Calf Pipe which gives them the means to pray to the Great Spirit.Tags
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I had never considered the significance of the pipe before reading this legend. This book helped me to understand a very important piece of First Nations history and ceremony. I loved the illustrations, which spread over two pages, and I thought they really captured the prairie sky and plains beautifully. The additions of author's notes about the pipe were important to better understand the historically references in this text.
I liked this story for many reasons. First, I really enjoyed the illustrations and feel that they would be appropriate and engaging for 5th and 6th grade students. Each page is illustrated with a great deal of detail, texture, and patterns, which makes the story more realistic and enjoyable to read. I also like how the author takes an old legend and retells it turning it into an informational book about buffalo culture. The author gives definitions in the back of the book that explain in more detail some of the things that are discussed in the story. For example, the author explains that the buffalo fur on the pipe is meant to honor "the animals and everything that walks and moves on Earth." The big idea of this book is to describe the show more imagination of Wakan Tanka, the Great Spirit and the Buffalo Indian Traditions. show less
This book tells the Lakota legend of the buffalo woman that brought buffalo to the people of the plains. She brought them a pipe that they could pray with then turned into a white buffalo calf and to everyone’s surprise
The Legend of White Buffalo Woman tells the inspiring story of the first peace pipe, presented to the Lakota people to connect them to the Great Spirit, who will guide them through the hardships of life.
A story about the tradition of the pipe in Native American folklore and how it came to be. It also contains some detailed information on what was used to create a pipe, and their significance.
Picture book that tells the story of the first peace pipe, given to Lakota Indians to connect to the Great Spirit, thus helping them through life's hardships.
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Author Information

52+ Works 9,328 Members
Paul Goble was born in Haslemere, Surrey, England on September 27, 1933. He was a sharpshooter in the British military from 1951 to 1953. In 1959, he received a National Diploma in Design, with honors, from the Central School of Arts and Crafts in London. While working in freelance industrial design and teaching at Ravensbourne College of Art and show more Design, he and his first wife Dorothy Lee wrote four picture books. In 1977, he decided to become a full-time author and illustrator and accepted a position as the artist-in-residence at Mount Rushmore National Memorial. He and Lee divorced in 1978. He was best known for his picture books inspired by Native American culture and lore including Buffalo Woman, Iktomi and the Boulder: A Plains Indian Story, and Crow Chief: A Plains Indian Story. He received the Caldecott Medal in 1979 for The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses. He died from Parkinson's disease on January 5, 2017 at the age of 83. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Awards and Honors
Awards
Notable Lists
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Legend of the White Buffalo Woman
- Original publication date
- 1998
- People/Characters
- White Buffalo Woman
- Important places
- Great Plains, USA
- First words
- Long, long ago, the Great Spirit made it rain, day after day, and the water rose, covering everything.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)All these things, which have been told here, were born in the imagination of Wakan Tanka, the Great Spirit.
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Statistics
- Members
- 153
- Popularity
- 213,347
- Reviews
- 6
- Rating
- (3.58)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 6




















































