Once Upon a time…
First Book travelled to the faraway land of Buffalo. Upon our arrival at the warehouse, we were astonished to find a field of presorted pallets, lined up in rows and labeled with fancy signs. They were the most beautiful pallets we had ever seen! 
Before we could blink an eye, we were escorted to a table of sweets and coffee. While choosing which donut to eat first, volunteers flocked around us, begging to be put to work.
Over the next three days, 300,000 books went to 65 local organizations and 333 nationwide, via 118 volunteers fed by about a million donuts. 
As the last books rode off into the sunset, in a poof of volunteer magic (aided by 5 brooms and 3 dustpans) all the evidence of the distribution disappeared. As we frolicked off, the only evidence of our adventure is now scattered throughout the land, as children receive books of their own and live happily ever after.
The End.
Bubble Girl is famous on the internet for getting herself into some dodgy situations. But, bless her, she always manages to turn the motor on and hightail it away from danger. Here’s a recent photo from her trip to Yellowstone. Grizzly bears don’t take kindly to folks stealing their honey. Mark that down as another lesson learned, Bubble Girl.
The Buffalo Are Back by Jean Craighead George, paintings by Wendell Minor
This is the haunting story of the loss of the buffalo herds that once thundered across the United States. It is a story of the buffalo, the prairies and the Native Americans. The Indians knew how to care for the grasslands and by caring for the grass, they took care of the buffalo which they depended on for survival. So when the Indians stood against the American government and its settlers, defending the land, the government ordered the buffalos killed off. Now the settlers battled the grass, tearing it up to create farmland. Farmland that was doomed to become the Dust Bowl when the very soil crumbled to dust and locusts attacked their crops. But the buffalo were not exterminated. With Teddy Roosevelt came change and a love of the buffalo. Now there is a return of the buffalo and the grasses.
George captures a tumultuous and horrible history in this book for children. She manages to take an overwhelming loss and condense it into something that is understandable for young children. Her words are powerful, evocative and beautiful. She captures the fragility of nature and earth with spirit and honesty. The paintings by Minor take this book to another level. His depictions of the glorious buffalo, the endlessness of the prairie, and the horrors of destruction are breathtaking. His virtuoso art brings the entire history to life.
In the end, this book is about hope. It is about the fact that we have choices to make, and that we can make a difference. Beautiful and stunning, we must be part of creating the future this book tells us of. Appropriate for ages 7-10.
Reviewed from copy received from Dutton.
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