BAD RIVER BOYS

Well known for telling stories from a Native American perspective, Sneve tells one based on an entry straight from the pages of Captain William Clark’s journal. Three Lakota Sioux boys swim the river to come to the Corps of Discovery’s camp. While the boys are part of history, their part of the journal ends at that point, but Sneve adds them to the rest of the story. The Corps stayed in the area for four more days, and at the time, the tribe controlled the trade to the north and the tribal leaders were used to a system of trade that the Corps did not recognize. A historical note says that the encounter almost ended in bloodshed and explains the difficulties. Farnsworth’s oil paintings put the setting in the early 1800s and depict the landscape, the Native Americans and the explorers in an accurate and respectful manner. While the text is lengthy, Sneve fans will not be disappointed. All in all an offering that stands alone in its depiction of one segment of the Lewis and Clark journey. (Picture book. 8-10)