Buffalo Wild!

by Deidre Havrelock, Azby Whitecalf (Illustrator)

Overview

An exuberant celebration of the Buffalo’s return to the wild.

Since Declan was born, his kokum has shared her love of Buffalo through stories and art. But Declan longs to see real Buffalo. Then one magical night, herds of the majestic creatures stampede down from the sky. That’s when things really get wild!

Azby Whitecalf’s playful illustrations add to the joy and reverence in Deidre Havrelock’s picture book debut. A reprinting of the Buffalo Treaty and an author’s note describe the importance of Buffalo to Indigenous Peoples and efforts to revitalize the species.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781773215334
Publisher:	Annick Press, Limited
Publication date:	10/26/2021
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	649,709
Product dimensions:	11.00(w) x 9.50(h) x (d)
Lexile:	AD550L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

DEIDRE HAVRELOCK is a member of the Saddle Lake Cree Nation in Alberta, Canada. She was raised in Edmonton, Alberta with a ghost in her house, a feminist for a grandma, and wishing she had a Buffalo for a pet!

AZBY WHITECALF is a Plains Cree illustrator and character designer residing in Saskatchewan. Whitecalf is a graduate of AUArts, majoring in illustration with a bachelor’s degree in design. They have fondness for fantasy stories, whimsical tales, and vibrant characters.

Editorial Reviews

10/01/2021

PreS-Gr 3—The story of Declan, a young boy, his kokum—grandmother—and buffalo. Kokum explains how the buffalo roamed freely with their ancestors, but now live in the sky. When Declan gets ready for bed he imagines the buffalo returning and the "wild, wonderful beasts" getting into mischief. The book shares similarities with Maurice Sendak's classic Where the Wild Things Are in the way it combines a curious imagination and a wild rumpus of mischievous beasts. Soothing illustrations by Whitecalf (a member of the Plains Cree) draw readers into Declan's dreamlike world and their own evening with the buffalo. Haverlock, an enrolled member of the Saddle Lake Cree Nation, ends by explaining the Buffalo Treaty, a 2014 document that promotes cooperation, renewal, and restoration with Indigenous peoples. VERDICT This title offers a great learning opportunity, providing a better understanding of the importance of animals from an Indigenous point of view.—Danielle Burbank, Farmington, NM

School Library Journal

2021-07-27
A young boy yearns for the return of wild buffalo, and his vivid dreams bring them back to the prairie where they belong.

Declan longs to see majestic herds of buffalo like those in the stories his grandmother tells. He wishes he could feel how “the whole world trembled” when millions of buffalo still roamed the land. Kokum explains that “now…those Buffalo live in the sky” but says they will return someday. “I wish those Buffalo would draw near and come home,” Declan says, and during a starry night lit by the full moon, his imagination allows him to free the “wild, wonderful beasts” from captivity. But the creatures wreak havoc on Kokum’s garden, and Declan realizes he has no way to control the chaos. “This land must have been less crowded a long time ago,” reflects Declan, and he calls on the Creator to take the wild animals back, even though “without the Buffalo, the prairie didn’t seem nearly as wild.” Through Kokum and Declan, Havrelock (Saddle Lake Cree Nation) explores the importance of buffalo to Indigenous peoples, while illustrator Whitecalf (Plains Cree) uses bold shades of blue, red, and violet to create a child’s view of mysterious nighttime imaginings. Both text and illustrations carefully situate characters in the here and now with details such as Kokum’s smartphone and yoga gazebo. The 2014 Buffalo Treaty is appended.

A satisfying ending ensures this nighttime adventure will soothe even the wildest child. (author's note) (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews