A Boy Called Slow

by Joseph Bruchac, Rocco Baviera (Illustrator)

The True Story of Sitting Bull from multi-award-winning author Joseph Bruchac.

Anxious to be given a name as strong and brave as that of his father, a proud Lakota Sioux grows into manhood, acting with careful deliberation, determination, and bravery, which eventually earned him his proud new Sitting Bull.

An ALA Notable Book

"Being named Slow and growing up in the shadow of a great warrior hardly dwarfed the prospects of this he grew up to be Sitting Bull. Bruchac's sensitively told story of Sitting Bull's coming-of-age reassures young boys that success comes through effort, not birth." — Booklist

Genres: Picture Books, Biography, History, Native American, Nonfiction, Indigenous, Childrens

32 pages, Paperback

First published March 21, 1994

About the author

Joseph Bruchac lives with his wife, Carol, in the Adirondack mountain foothills town of Greenfield Center, New York, in the same house where his maternal grandparents raised him. Much of his writing draws on that land and his Abenaki ancestry. Although his American Indian heritage is only one part of an ethnic background that includes Slovak and English blood, those Native roots are the ones by which he has been most nourished. He, his younger sister Margaret, and his two grown sons, James and Jesse, continue to work extensively in projects involving the preservation of Abenaki culture, language and traditional Native skills, including performing traditional and contemporary Abenaki music with the Dawnland Singers.

He holds a B.A. from Cornell University, an M.A. in Literature and Creative Writing from Syracuse and a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the Union Institute of Ohio. His work as a educator includes eight years of directing a college program for Skidmore College inside a maximum security prison. With his wife, Carol, he is the founder and Co-Director of the Greenfield Review Literary Center and The Greenfield Review Press. He has edited a number of highly praised anthologies of contemporary poetry and fiction, including Songs from this Earth on Turtle's Back, Breaking Silence (winner of an American Book Award) and Returning the Gift. His poems, articles and stories have appeared in over 500 publications, from American Poetry Review, Cricket and Aboriginal Voices to National Geographic, Parabola and Smithsonian Magazine. He has authored more than 70 books for adults and children, including The First Strawberries, Keepers of the Earth (co-authored with Michael Caduto), Tell Me a Tale, When the Chenoo Howls (co-authored with his son, James), his autobiography Bowman's Store and such novels as Dawn Land, The Waters Between, Arrow Over the Door and The Heart of a Chief. Forthcoming titles include Squanto's Journey (Harcourt), a picture book, Sacajawea (Harcourt), an historical novel, Crazy Horse's Vision (Lee & Low), a picture book, and Pushing Up The Sky (Dial), a collection of plays for children. His honors include a Rockefeller Humanities fellowship, a National Endowment for the Arts Writing Fellowship for Poetry, the Cherokee Nation Prose Award, the Knickerbocker Award, the Hope S. Dean Award for Notable Achievement in Children's Literature and both the 1998 Writer of the Year Award and the 1998 Storyteller of the Year Award from the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers. In 1999, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Native Writers Circle of the Americas.

As a professional teller of the traditional tales of the Adirondacks and the Native peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, Joe Bruchac has performed widely in Europe and throughout the United States from Florida to Hawaii and has been featured at such events as the British Storytelling Festival and the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesboro, Tennessee. He has been a storyteller-in-residence for Native American organizations and schools throughout the continent, including the Institute of Alaska Native Arts and the Onondaga Nation School. He discusses Native culture and his books and does storytelling programs at dozens of elementary and secondary schools each year as a visiting author.

Reviews

[Kathy Roderer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This beautifully ilustrated picture book by the Native American storyteller, Joseph Bruhac, is the story of the famous warrior hero of the Lakota Sioux tribe, Sitting Bull. As a child, "Slow" was slow at everything he did. He wished he could have a stronger name. His mother and father told him that he must earn a better name by brave and wise actions. "Slow" gradually proves his bravery, but it takes an encounter with the enemies from the Crow tribe before "Slow" is able to earn his new name. The illustrations are captivating and depict both the setting and the action that takes place throughout the story. This is an authentic story of perseverance and fortituted that will encourage and inspire children who yearn to become something more than they presently are.

[Leane · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this story to be a little like the title...slow...I also found the illustrations to be too dark and not very detailed. Author Joseph Bruchac tells the story of a Lakota boy nicknamed Slow because he does everything at his own pace. Despite being labeled as slow, Slow takes the opportunity to build his talents as a horsemen and warrior. At the end, his name is replaced by his father and he becomes Sitting Bull, a name that everyone has heard of. This story is all about proving yourself, even if it takes an extra amount of courage.

What I didn't like about this story was that it never mentions that the story is really about Sitting Bull until the very end. This would be acceptable if there was an Author's Note at the end of the story providing extra information about Sitting Bull and his influence on American history, but there is nothing. Unfortunately, I don't think young students will find this story to be interesting.

[Amanda L · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much educational value in terms of exposure to the traditions of the Lakota tribe, and specifically Sitting Bull's humble beginnings and [generically addressed] significance in history. Though I wasn't really "sucked in." Perhaps an inherent consequence of it being written for third graders? Note: I have no children and don't otherwise find third graders particularly relatable, so take any remarks on its inability to engage me with a grain of [delectable pink Himalayan] sea salt.

I also wish it would have gone into detail about his later life and leading his tribe in resistance to policies leveraged by the US government.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't know what to think of this book just by looking at the title, but that is what captured my interest. This story is about a little boy in a Lakota tribe. Each child gets a name for how they act. Since this boy did everything slow, that is what his name was. The only way to change the name is by having a "dream" when he gets older. He admires his dad, who has several names because of his wisdom, and his bravery. When Slow turns 14 he is able to go on a war party with his dad and fellow tribe members. He shows bravery by attacking the Cherokee tribe, and catching them off guard. The Cherokee tribe retreats and Slow and his Lakota tribe were able to get horses and other thins to benefit their tribe. He goes back to the tribe and they change his name. This story is based off of an actual person named Sitting Bull.

This book has beautiful illustrations. I would say that this book should be for K-12. All age groups could get a lot of information on this book, and it would be something interesting to add to a history class when discussing Native Americans and Sitting Bull. I would definitely recommend this book for any child.

[Alex Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Extremely beautiful illustrations -- extremely.

[April Helms · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of the man who would become known as Sitting Bull, told from when he was a child. A good book to sit down with an individual child or small group of children to read aloud to. May not be good for large groups; the illustrations are extremely dark. A shame, because they were otherwise nicely done. This gives children a look at a famous person as a child, and can serve as a nice springboard book.

[Brandy Mcdonald · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Boy Called Slow written by Joseph Bruchac is a beautiful biography for children. The book is about a young Lakota Sioux boy who is eager to be given a strong name, this boy will grow to be the man known by many as Sitting Bull. As a boy he was slow at everything he did. He wished he could have a stronger name. His mother and father told him that he must earn a better name by being brave and making wise actions. When he is 14years old he shows bravery by attacking the Cherokee tribe, and catching them off guard. When he returns to his tribe, they give him a new name. The plot of the story is simple as Slow only wants to gain a strong name and honor his people. His journey of earning a new name is full of action and the conflict reaches a resolution the reader is wishing to happen. This book introduces the culture of the Sioux Indian tribe to young readers. The illustrations are colorful and artistically painted to bring the words to life. The text is good for elementary ages and would be great for a read aloud to the class.

[Samantha Ledesma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is such a good account of a hero we all know the name of but know little else about. It especially resonated with me because, growing up, I was always one of those kids who was considered slow when I played or made decisions. I was a very pensive kid and seeing that reflected in such a great warrior is something I know other pensive kids will find great inspiration in.

The book follows Sitting Bull as a child and tells the story of how he got his adult name. The words are paired with timeless illustrations painted in heavy blacks and purples and highlighted with yellows. It gives the effect that it is always either dawn or dusk, which supports the theme of change that the story has. I also appreciate how historically and culturally accurate the story is, which is a given considering that Joseph Bruchac is Native American himself. All in all, this is a great book to have on your shelf, whether at home or in school.

[Sydney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review taken from Horn Book and Booklist.

The pictures evoke a sense of timelessness and distance, possessing an almost mythic quality that befits this glimpse into history.
Being named Slow and growing up in the shadow of a great warrior hardly dwarfed the prospects of this protagonist: he grew up to be Sitting Bull. Bruchac’s sensitively told story of Sitting Bull’s coming of age reassures young boys that success comes through effort, not birth

This book caught my attention because I am Native American so it would be cool for me as my students teacher to share a little bit about myself and it could tie into a history lesson. I think a fun activity would be to have my students write their names using the Cherokee alphabet.

[Cala · Rating 2 out of 5]

A picture book of how Slow became Sitting Bull. Read this book aloud to my 5 y.o. son. He mostly enjoyed listening to it. Not the easiest to read aloud, with some odd grammar styles and several Indian words. As with many historical Indian books, it speaks of worshipping spirits and being able to talk to animals. The story of Slow got his new name is interesting though. Learning about a famous figure's childhood is always fun.

[Rebekah Waggoner]

Biographical
2nd-4th

I loved reading this book and looking at the illustrations. I believe that students can be inspired by this book and be able to find value in it as well. Even I was able to learn a lot from this book. It shows how what you call someone can affect them. Another aspect that I liked about this books is it talked about tribes and that is something that students might not get exposed to very often.

[Bridget Neace · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like this book was lacking an author's note for further information AND the illustrations are probably great...they're just SO DARK, it was hard to tell, I'm kinda going off benefit of the doubt. I was hoping for more from this one. Maybe if it had been billed/catalogued as a historic picture book (i.e. historical fiction-esque) instead of as a picture book biography; if this was meant to be a biography of Sitting Bull, then again, I was hoping for more.

[Rachel Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Biography
Grade Level: 3

This is a picture book, but it is long! This is why I think it would be best for older grades. The story itself is very informational because it talks a lot about the culture of Slow's tribe. I thought the illustrations were good. I also thought the story was a little slow (no pun intended), but overall it was a good, educational book.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bruchac is a great storyteller, and this is an interesting angle for Sitting Bull’s story. It is a hopeful book, reminding readers that effort can overcome obstacles, without being unrealistic. The art is quite dark (in color, not content), and while I can objectively see that it is well-done, I did not personally find it appealing.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

AD760L. The True Story of Sitting Bull from multi-award-winning author Joseph
Bruchac. Anxious to be given a name as strong and brave as that of his father,
a proud Lakota Sioux grows into manhood, acting with careful deliberation,
determination, and bravery, which eventually earned him his proud new name:
Sitting Bull.

[Samarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Biographical
2nd-4th

I loved reading this book and look at the illustrations. I truly was inspired by this book and feel as though other students will find great values in this book. I learned so much from reading this book. From why the boy was named slow to how how it affected him. I really enjoyed reading this book.

[Spencer Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a culture where your name matters more than anything else, a boy so badly wants is name, his identity, to be greater. So, he sets out to do just that. I would recommend this book to middle schoolers and those wanting to learn more about the native American culture and sitting bull. This is another text where students could create a dialogue with another historical figure, such as Bass Reeves.

[Priscila the Historian · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting story to read as an adult, but maybe as a child it is too dark and confusing, even the drawings are not inviting for a young audience. But I did find it is a mixture of native history and culture, always nice to have a storyteller that understands these points of view that are often silent.

[Brandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great insight into the Lakota tribe and tale of Sitting Bull’s childhood. I appreciated the information of Native American naming processes. Would be great for elementary classrooms NOT JUST IN NOVEMBER!

[Jennifer Thomas-Sopekan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book written to show an old school example of how a young man became acknowledged as a man. To be seen as a man isn't just about how old you are. Its about what you have proven. Have you proven you are a man?....

[Wanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a children's story book that explains how Chief Sitting Bull grew up and obtained his name.
The illustrations are lovely. The story tells how "Slow" learned and grew and came to deserve his new name.

[TJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nice charcoal drawings. The colors in this book are dark. Figures are painted in shadow. I liked the surprise at the end of who the book was really about! Only thing I didn’t like was that it glorified war, but even that was a minimum.

[Debbi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this author

[Karl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bruchac (Abenaki) does not disappoint in his retelling of the biography of Sitting Bull. A coming of age story of how success through effort defines a young person’s journey.

[Melissa Dunbar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!

[Tower Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

P

[Stacey Mulholland]

A student asked for another book like my Abenaki story so I picked this up. I love Joseph Bruchac's writing.

[Ms. B · Rating 3 out of 5]

How will Slow, a young Lakota boy earn a new name, what will it be? His father has four names.

[Barbara Lovejoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

WONDERFUL book! I love learning from Joseph Bruchac. This was a new story for me. I especially enjoyed the Rocco Baviera illustrations!

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Appealing. Focus on the name won at age 14, not the deeds of the adult. But even as a child I would object to the raid on the Crows being referred to as 'protecting the tribe.'