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Samson : Last of the California Grizzlies
During the first nine years of his life a California grizzly struggles for survival against the ever increasing threat of humans in the Sierra Nevada
94 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1973
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 9, 2019
1998: I wish all kids would read, and appreciate, books such as this one. (rated 3 stars)
2019: The first chapters are a biography of a grizzly from birth to maturity, fairly typical of books about bears. This one, however, is anchored by specific dates and locations.
p 5: A light snow was beginning to fall on this morning in November, 1840, and the bear was heading for the winter den that she had prepared some weeks before. ... In the year 1840 grizzlies were very common in this region. California was a province of Mexico and still mostly wilderness.
In the next several chapters, the young bear named Samson learns to survive in his habitat. His training is cut short, however, when vaqueros capture his mother and sister. And that is only the beginning of his encounter with humans. In 1848, gold was discovered at Sutter's mill and the face of California was changed to the detriment of grizzlies. What follows is a litany of the hazards Samson encounters.
- poisoned bait
- painful burn of rifle fire
- brutal clasp of sharp teeth of a metal trap
- confinement in a sturdy box trap
- dragged and jolted by wagon to a town
- chained in an arena to fight a bull
The end of the Author's Note points out a cruel irony.
The last [grizzly] ever sighted in the state was in Sequoia Nat'l Park in 1924. California, the state that celebrates the golden bear on its state flag, had allowed the grizzly to be exterminated within its borders.
I was looking for books to cull from my shelves, but this one's a keeper.
2019: The first chapters are a biography of a grizzly from birth to maturity, fairly typical of books about bears. This one, however, is anchored by specific dates and locations.
p 5: A light snow was beginning to fall on this morning in November, 1840, and the bear was heading for the winter den that she had prepared some weeks before. ... In the year 1840 grizzlies were very common in this region. California was a province of Mexico and still mostly wilderness.
In the next several chapters, the young bear named Samson learns to survive in his habitat. His training is cut short, however, when vaqueros capture his mother and sister. And that is only the beginning of his encounter with humans. In 1848, gold was discovered at Sutter's mill and the face of California was changed to the detriment of grizzlies. What follows is a litany of the hazards Samson encounters.
- poisoned bait
- painful burn of rifle fire
- brutal clasp of sharp teeth of a metal trap
- confinement in a sturdy box trap
- dragged and jolted by wagon to a town
- chained in an arena to fight a bull
The end of the Author's Note points out a cruel irony.
The last [grizzly] ever sighted in the state was in Sequoia Nat'l Park in 1924. California, the state that celebrates the golden bear on its state flag, had allowed the grizzly to be exterminated within its borders.
I was looking for books to cull from my shelves, but this one's a keeper.
September 15, 2023
3.5 stars
Part biography, part fiction. For being a fairly short book (95 pages) it seemed longer than needed.
Part biography, part fiction. For being a fairly short book (95 pages) it seemed longer than needed.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews