Pocahontas

While I didn't find this as good as the Greek or Norse myth books that this couple did, this is still a fun book to have nonetheless. I remember reading this from the library when I was a child. This book is dated to be sure, but it's still a nice sample of D'Aulaire art.

Just like with the Abe Lincoln biography there are lovely illustrations of essentially American animals, e.g., raccoons. Pocahontas's people live in houses made of bark, and Pocahontas is free to do all the things.This is why I loved the book as a child, probably. The lithographs are outstanding! But I'm so perplexed by the fact that the Queen of England does the inviting and yet there is also a King of England. When did Pocahontas end up in England? During whose reign? I'm not going to look this up on Wikipedia, on principle. Maybe there's another book out there? I bet there is!

Genre: Biography
Age Appropriateness: Intermediate
Media: Pencil and colored pencil
Review: This is a book about Pocahontas and how she save John Smith's life, and how she saved Jamestown. In the end Pocahontas (daughter of Pawtown) became the Princes and marries a man named James Rolfe. When they have a son he in the end goes back to his mom's town and lives there and has a huge family.
Critique: This is a good biography because it teaches kids about the life that Pocahontas led, what she accomplished and all of the things she did. This book teaches kids the story of Pocahontas through pictures, and words but still makes it interesting and fun to read.

We really enjoy the D'Aulaire books. They are beautifully illustrated and are full of information. A good biography of a very interesting character.

Summary; This is the story about a young native girl, Pocahontas and how she saves the life of John Smith, one of first settlers of Jamestown, from being killed by her tribe. She marries John Rolfe and becomes a princess in which they have a son. The son return back to the new land and lives with Pocahontas's tribe and raises a family of his own.
Personal Reaction; Much like the Disney film, this book tells the classic story of Pocahontas but extended the story of her family which I enjoyed.
Classroom Expectation Ideas;
1. Have children create their own tribe.
2. Have a pilgrim and Indian dress up day.
3. Discuss the impact Pocahontas made with helping the new settlers.

The 1998 edition is a facsimile of the 1936. Needless to say, it was not the 1998 ed. that so enchanted me in 1966, but I'm very glad it's available to another generation.

An illustrated biography of Pocahontas. One warning for sensitive readers: Some men are killed in their sleep, early in the story.