I really liked this rendition of the historical Lewis and Clark tale. It's a great story of excitement and adventure. This story brings in the very beginning when President Thomas Jefferson wondered how long it would take to reach the Pacific Ocean. According to the book, he writes a letter to his friend Meriwether Lewis. At this point, Lewis, a soldier, invites his friend William Clark to come along as well. These two assemble their team and even their trusty dog and head off for the Pacific Ocean. Along the way they explore, collect, and meet new animals. They drew pictures of animals they had never seen before like the buffalo, grizzly bear, and the jackrabbit. They are trying to decide what present they can send back to the President and decide that a prairie dog is a great present. I love the illustrations in this book and the imagination about what to name the "prairie dog". I think this is fun way for kids to learn about history. This would be a fun way to introduce a Lewis and Clark lesson for the whole classroom. Even reading this kid's story it makes me think about how brave these men must have been to set off for a New Frontier. I can't imagine meeting animals in the wild that I had never met before! Now why do you think they named the animal, "prairie dog"? Also, do you think the President liked his gift? Well, you will have to read it to find out!

In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson sends Lewis and Clark out west to explore. He tells them to make maps. He tells them to draw pictures and collect plants. Most importantly, he tells them to send presents! What kind of present is good enough for a president? Beginning readers will truly enjoy reading about this fun and little-known slice of American history. ( )

As a level three in the Step into Reading program, this easy reader was a nice introduction to more complicated sentence structures, and introduced enough text on the page that set the stage for paragraphs. The narrative story of the Lewis and Clark adventure was also a nice example to illustrate how sentences can build off one another to tell a story, rather than repeating simply structures that act more as interchangeable parts. The sketchy illustrations lend a humorous style that furthers the entertaining narrative and helps to keep the story flowing. The overall effect of this may help keep reluctant or anxious readers engaged by making the blocks of text seem more manageable. Additionally, the text may help to formally introduce concepts such as maps, dialogue, and letters as each of these components play a fairly prominent role in the narrative. Recommended for purchase. ( )

This is a good example of historical fiction because it accurately follows the travels of Lewis and Clark, but it adds dialogue and situations that are fictitious. The setting of this book is critical to the plot. The author has accurately set the book along the trail that Lewis and Clark traveled.
Age: Primary, Intermediate

GR: M
GL: 2.6
DRA: 24
Lexile: 320L