School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-6-The multilayered and episodic fifth book in this Ojibwe family saga follows the eight-year-old twin brothers Makoons (Bearchild) and Chickadee, now living on the Great Plains in 1866, as they awkwardly learn to become buffalo hunters and the caretakers of an orphaned calf. Enhanced by her own pencil illustrations, Erdrich's tale effortlessly weaves playful romps, adventures, and comic relief while marking the melancholic passing of time. This beautifully lyrical tale will satisfy fans of the series and entice newcomers. © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
This fifth title in the Birchbark House series, a direct sequel to Chickadee (rev. 9/12), opens with Makoons, a young Ojibwe boy, telling a vision of his familys future, concluding sadly, "I know we will have to save them. Onlywe cannot save them all." Then we are dropped into the warm, nurturing, and productive world of his multigenerational family, now making a new life on the Great Plains. Makoons and his twin Chickadee are both recovering from the events of the previous book: Makoons from his serious illness; Chickadee from his kidnapping ordeal. The two are constantly on the move, developing their horse-riding skills with mixed success, participating in buffalo hunts, and just plain getting in trouble. Warm intergenerational moments abound (for instance, an adult prank calling out the boys attempt to shirk the onerous task of tanning hides). As in the earlier Birchbark House books, Erdrich provides fascinating information about Ojibwe daily life, here especially details about buffalo hunting. Throughout, there are poignant moments, including the deaths of several family members and a sense of foreboding about the future as the buffalo begin to disappear. Whether encountering this community for the first time or returning to it, readers will be enriched by Erdrichs finely crafted corrective to the Eurocentric dominant narrative of Americas past. Soft black-and-white drawings are scattered throughout, with back matter consisting of an authors note on the Ojibwe language and a glossary and pronunciation guide (not seen). monica edinger (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
In this fifth book of the Birchbark House series, Omakayas, her twin sons, Makoons and Chickadee, and their extended family adjust to life on the Great Plains following their 1866 migration from the Minnesota woods to Dakota Territory."Connected to each other by invisible strings of life," Makoons and Chickadee quickly discover life on the Plains belongs "to the buffalo" and "hunters of the buffalo." Eager to join the male hunters, the twins learn to hunt with bow and arrow while riding ponies. Disappointed to be excluded from the first hunt, they find consolation driving an ox cart to transport hides and witness the hunt. After adopting an orphan buffalo calf, the boys use their knowledge of buffalo language to play a pivotal part in another buffalo hunt. But this moment does not last. Aware the buffalo are fleeing westward to escape invading white settlers, the family relocates further west to a wooded place where they build a cabin and suffer loss, leaving readers wondering what the future holds. Laced with Ojibwe words (explicated in backmatter), Erdrich's simple text and delicate pencil illustrations provide a detailed, honest portrait of Plains life through the antics and experiences of two Ojibwe boys.A warm and welcome addition to the unfolding saga of a 19th-century Ojibwe family. (map, author's note) (Historical fiction. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Makoons, the twin brother of Chickadee (for whom the last book in the Birchbark House series was titled), takes center stage in this fifth installment. But though the preteen is in the spotlight, the story really revolves around his whole Ojibwe family, a multigenerational clan now living on the Great Plains of Dakota Territory in 1866. Life is different from what the family originally knew along the lakes and rivers of the area now known as Minnesota, but much of the day-to-day work is unchanged. As she has done previously, Erdrich lingers on mundane details of life: the planting of gardens, tanning of hides, and preparing of food. There is one difference on the Plains the buffalo is king and Makoons and Chickadee must learn to become buffalo hunters. Along with that action, great character sketches emerge: tough-as-nails Two Strike, who wouldn't even raise her own child, is captivated by a little lamb, while preening Gichi Noodin goes from conceited young hunter to humble suitor. Erdrich's direct narrative voice brings readers right into Makoons' world. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: A new addition to the Birchbark House saga, launched in 1999, is always an anticipated event, and Chickadee (2012) won the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2016 Booklist
