The Bluebonnet Girl

by Michael Lind, Kate Kiesler (Illustrator)

A dramatic retelling of a Comanche legend of how Texas became known as the blue bonnet state.

"Come every spring
the bluebonnets cling
to prairies the showers renew.
Come, gather near,
settle down, and you’ll hear
of how the first bluebonnets grew."

This beautiful Comanche legend of how a young girl sacrifices her most precious possession, even as the bravest men refuse, to save her land and people from a terrible drought, is retold here in dramatic verse and striking full-color paintings.

Genres: Cultural, Native American, Picture Books

40 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Currently Policy Director of the Economic Growth Program at the New America Foundation in Washington, Michael Lind has been an editor or staff writer for The New Yorker, Harper’s Magazine, and The New Republic and writes frequently for The New York Times and the Financial Times. He is the author of more than a dozen books of history, political journalism, and fiction, including a poetry chapbook, When You Are Someone Else (Aralia Press, 2002), Bluebonnet Girl (Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), 2003), a children’s book in verse, which won an Oppenheimer Toy Prize for children’s literature, and a narrative poem, The Alamo (Replica Books, 1999), which the Los Angeles Times named as one of the best books of the year. His first collection of verse, Parallel Lives, was published by Etruscan Press in 2007.

Reviews

[Stephanie Watson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Illustrations are lovely, but I preferred the text of Tomie DePaula's version.

[Kayla Krause · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would use this in my classroom when I'm teaching about Thanksgiving. I will have my students then decorate a bluebonnet out of colored paper.

[Madison Tumas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful drawings with a great story behind it. This would be great for teaching stories from history in younger classes.

[Cayla Caudillo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review: This is the story of how Texas became known as the bluebonnet state. It is a legend based around an Indian tribe of a time when they faced a horrible drought. There only hope to end the drought was for an individual to sacrifice their most prized possession. Although the tribe would end up dying from hunger because of the loss of crops, no one in the tribe would sacrifice their most prized possession, except for a brave little girl. When she makes this sacrifice the rain finally comes. The next morning the land is restored with crops and has been filled with beautiful bluebonnets. The little girl’s brave act saved her land and tribe and she was known as bluebonnet girl.

Write an Original Recommendation: I would recommend using this book in any elementary classroom, especially when learning about Texas or the Native Americans. It is an inspiring story with beautiful illustrations, and it would help young children to learn about how important it is to make sacrifices for those we love.

Grade Level: Kindergarten-3

Awards/Honors: None

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars And the child shall lead them. This is a legend told about the Comanche people. There was a drought and the Spirit Leader received a vision that because of their greed in times of plenty they were being punished so...they were asked to give up their prized possessions to the fire as sacrifice, but no one, not even the spirit leader or the tribe leader would sacrifice their bird bone shield, or eagle toe, or pipe.
But after all were asleep a young girl sacrifice her prized doll which had blue feathers...that night it rained and in the morning the fields were filled with blue bonnets (what I call lupine) Very nice story, nice picture good message! Well done!

[Kami Huff · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Picture Book* A tribe cannot get rain because they are too prideful, and no one will sacrifice their precious things in order to break the drought. Finally a little girl gives up her beloved doll and brings the rain again. This is a beautiful story with a great moral.