Grandfather Buffalo

Although old and slow, Grandfather Buffalo is still a part of his herd in this lovely picture-book from author/illustrator Jim Arnosky. He occasionally falls behind, but always manages to follow the tracks of the herd, and reunite with them. One night he finds himself in company with a pregnant cow, and guards her as she gives birth to a calf. From that day forward, Grandfather Buffalo functions as an extra guardian for the young calf, making sure he is safe, and stays with the herd...

A little bit more complex than some of the other Arnosky picture-books I have been reading recently, from Rabbits & Raindrops to Babies in the Bayou, Grandfather Buffalo pairs an engaging and ultimately poignant story with gorgeous illustrations. Arnosky show more captures the majesty of these creatures of the plains, and he also captures the importance of intergenerational relations in any group of herd animals. Although his book is not meant to be strictly informational, it can certainly be used with young children to build an appreciation for buffalo (technically, bison) and for the natural world. I understand that this title was selected for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, a charity which gives every child in a given region a book per month, for the first five years of their lives. What a wonderful program, and what a wonderful book to be included in it! Recommended to all young animal and nature lovers, and to fans of Arnosky's artwork. show less

This beautifully illustrated story of how a buffalo herd needs and values all of its members, from the elderly grandfather buffalo, who guides and protects the younger generations while allowing them to shine in their own right, to the younger generation of buffalo, who learn and feel loved by the older generations. Vocabulary specific to buffalo, their life cycle, and their migration patterns are used, making it an excellent source of information about this species, but it is told in story-like fashion so as not to overwhelm or intimidate even the youngest reader. I found it to be highly appealing and informative in a casual way, as did the fourth grade boys who chose it to read during silent reading time in the classroom.

In this book, Grandfather Buffalo always falls behind his herd, but he helps a mother buffalo give birth to her calf; the calf soon learns that the best place to be is with Grandfather Buffalo. This book is a great tool to use to teach respect and kindness and can be used as a mentor text for those children who want to write about their grandparents. This book is appropriate for preschool and up.

This simple story is filled with great pictures. I read this to my first graders and they loved looking at the pictures while I read. They knew the story was about love and respect. I will do a read aloud with this book again! I also think reading this to my 4th graders before they start their heritage unit would be a good idea. I know they would enjoy the story.

Grandfather buffalo may be very old but he is still a leader. He comes across a mother and a calf and leads them through the herd. Grandfather takes good care of the calf and the mother. Grandfather knows he is old but he sees that he is important to the herd. He can still lead and help others. I think this is a good book and I would keep it in my classroom. i would read it aloud to kindergarten- 3rd graders.

This story is about a new calf being born into the buffalo herd and taking a particular liking to the old grandfather buffalo. At first this puts grandfather buffalo slightly on edge but after awhile he grows fond of the baby as well. He protects him from a dust storm, helps keep him warm at night, and unites him and his mother with his own herd.

Grandfather Buffalo is the story of the oldest buffalo in the heard. Tells the heartwarming story of how he helps a cow keep up with the herd. When the cow births her calf, Grandfather Buffalo and the calf create a tight bond.