GRANDFATHER BUFFALO

An old buffalo finds himself slowing down, but he still maintains a place within the herd in this gentle nature story. Grandfather Buffalo trails behind as the herd moves on and thus is the only bull present to protect another lagging buffalo, this one a pregnant cow, whose calf also comes under his protection when it is born. Arnosky depicts a gorgeously rolling prairie, the buffalo sharing the page with antelope, rattlesnakes, whooping cranes and regal fritillaries. As in his other picture books, the hazards encountered—separation from the herd, a dust storm—are just scary enough for his audience, and the inevitable reunions are sweetly reassuring. While the attachment between Grandfather Buffalo and the newborn calf may be zoologically suspect, this is unlikely to bother young readers, who will instead find the intergenerational bond pleasingly recognizable. (Picture book. 3-6)