Covered Wagons, Bumpy Trails by Verla Kay

by Verla Kay

Mother, Father and Baby John are heading west! The fertile Sacramento Valley is calling, and the deep rivers, endless plains, blistering desert, and steep mountains in the way are not going to stop them. The spirit of the grueling and exciting life on those treacherous trails is enlivened by little known details (did you know the pioneers pitched valuables from their wagons at steep sections of the trails?) and an energetically appealing family.Praise for Gold Fever, also by Verla Kay and S. D. "A rich vein of Americana, cleverly mined."--Publishers Weekly, starred review "Kay's personalized approach to history is a hoot."--School Library Journal, starred review"As an introduction to a vital piece of American history, it's wryly humorous and unflinchingly candid."--Kirkus Reviews, pointer review

Genres: Picture Books, Historical Fiction, Childrens, American History

Hardcover

First published October 1, 2000

About the author

Verla Kay is passionate about her writing and she loves cooking, playing computer games that have lots of puzzles in them to be solved and she also plays a lot of board, dice and card games with her family and friends (especially pinochle). She lives in a tiny town in eastern Washington, close to Spokane and the Idaho border with her husband of over 55 years and two long-haired Himalayan cats. Family is very important to her and she has four grown children (one married), four grown grandchildren (two married) and five great grandchildren that range in age from six to thirteen, most of whom live within visiting distance from her. She has previously had eleven historical picture books published, ten of them by Putnam. Wings Forever is her first self-published book and she is VERY proud of it! Visit Verla at: https://verlakay.com

Reviews

[Miranda Reads (back from hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm on a prairie kick (thank you Little House nostalgia) - and found this one at my local library. I really liked the rhyming scheme and the overall story.

[Guineth Ruiz]

What I love about this book is how everything rhymes together. The reading makes it very easy to follow and making it very enjoyable to read to children. The pictures are very colorful making you feel as if you are in the book. The way the author uses the clothing and the the time period, everything matches together. There is no bleeding throughout the book which I like because each page has something different but it goes off of what was in the previous pages. It's also short and sweet, it gives information about the pioneer life and how they struggled but in a way where its short and children will pay attention.

This book is about a pioneer family traveling from Independence, Missouri, to Sacramento, California, in a covered wagon. It takes about a family whom encounters various obstacles along their journey. Each sentence has a rhyme to it. Illustrations follow the text and show the wagons moving from the green, wet prairie, up craggy, rocky paths and through parched dry deserts until they come at last to the California meadows lush with wild flowers. The illustrations are even more cheerful than the text.

[Connie Thorne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Covered Wagons, Bumpy Trails by Vera Kay is a historical fiction must-read! Through the colorful, true-to-life illustrations and the enjoyable rhyming text, the students will feel as if they are the ones traveling West. This story is about a family of three that are transitioning from Missouri to California in the mid 1800's. They are real pioneers, complete with the hardships and heartaches of this era. Maps, containing striking details, have been included which aid in the overall visual of their travels. Once the family finally finds their "promise land", only then does one truly understand their level of endurance and persistence in order to obtain a better way of life. This would be a perfect read for K-3. The extension activities are broad: use of a Venn diagram to compare and contrast the modes of transportation of a covered wagon to a car of today, maps unit in Social Studies, and use of details for a research project from this era. Definitely add this book to your historical fiction classroom list!

[Brittney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about pioneers heading to California to begin their new lives. Along their way, they experience new lands and all sorts of weather. This book is written as a poem about their journey that includes short descriptions about their journey out west. I really like that this book rhymes because it keeps the attention of young children. I could see this book being used in a classroom to educate children about the movement to the west. I really liked the cartoon-like illustrations that focus in on the small family that is moving the California.

[Shari · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite Verla Kay stories. Light yet powerful rhyming verse tells the struggles of American pioneers heading west in the mid 1800s.

[Dan Blackley · Rating 3 out of 5]

In her signature rhyming style, Kay tells the story of the pioneers forging across America.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this one!

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

38 months - good rhyme and pictures have great detail but I was left wanting a bit more content about the journey. The map is awesome especially with the months written on the map. We talked about how long the journey would take based on the time between family birthdays and events between May and September. And how it only takes a day to drive through the mountains now but by wagon it would have taken a month.

[Tracey M. Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Would you have liked to have been a pioneer? In "Covered Wagons, Bumpy Trails" you'll get to take a journey with a family as they travel West.

"Covered Wagons, Bumpy Trails" lets you witness the hardship and the heartaches that traveling by horse and wagon use to bring. Then to show you the pride of finishing and the feeling  of a well done job.

S.D. Schindler's illustrations bring out the humor and bounciness in Verla Kay's text.

"Covered Wagons, Bumpy Trails" is written by Verla Kay.

[Shawna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book that gives the chilren a fairly accurate depiction of what travelingto the West was like could be used in so many ways. You could use it with any Social Studies unit as a poetry extension or a short way to show how hard it was to get to the west. It could used along with Traveling trunks and the National Park Trunks.

[Aileen Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Told in beautifully flowing rhyme, the story follows a family of three on their long journey west. Through hardships including foul weather, rocky mountains, and parched land, they forged on until they found their own promise land. Although this book is over fifteen years old, it is well worth the search.

[RPBYS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great historical picture book. An author's note and a map in the front would be great for extension activities. I love how the illustrator showed the passage of time during the journey west by showing the baby grow into a toddler. (Not owned by RPB; put on hold.)

[Molly Asp · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a historical fiction book that follows a family along the long, bumpy road west during the 1800s. It talks about the historical aspect of what life was like riding and living in covered wagons.

[Kell* · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a book that discovers the traveling of a family on the Oregon trail. It could be used for introducing seasons, but the best feature is the rhyming vocabulary and circumstances of that era.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

We enjoy this one often. (my 4yo and I)

[Dayna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple rhyming picture book about the California Trail. Lovely illustrations and accurate information for even the littlest ones.

[LeeAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable. This one came out the year I met Verla at the Inland NW SCBWI Conference. Great author and generous fellow writer.

[Danette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read with Naomi.