Lewis and Clark and Me: A Dog's Tale

by Laurie Myers

the story of Lewis's faithful dog Seaman who acted as a hunter and guard dog , and a peacemaker to the Indians.

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

64 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Laurie Myers is the award-winning author of chapter books for children, including Surviving Brick Johnson, an ALA notable book, and Lewis and Clark and Me, winner of the PA Children's book award and Honor book for Michigan. Her books have been on the International Reading Associations Children's Choice, Parents' Choice, and Teachers' Choice lists, as well as Junior Library Guild selection and many state master lists.

Laurie and her sister, Betsy Duffey (goodreads author), write adult fiction together as the Writing Sisters.

Reviews

[Jackie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gorgeous illustrations but I didn’t love the writing

[Ralph McEwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well done story that does not give the dog any extraordinary abilities. The chapters are clear snapshots of memorable scenes during the exploration. Nice short chapters that can be read by or to children and keep their attention. Adults will enjoy this book also, I did. There are beautiful illustrations and I truly like that each chapter is actually a excerpt from Lewis's chronicle which is quoted at the end of each chapter. The end is poignant and show that the dog truly did love his master. I recommend that you go to your local library and check out a copy.

[L Y N N · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely delightful read! I always love books written from the animal's perspective anyway, but this seemed particularly poignant. And Seaman was not without his challenges during the Lewis and Clark expedition! From beavers, to bears, to buffalo! And I learned some facts I had not previously known! Always a bonus!

[Catherine Jaime · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a generally low opinion of historical fiction for children -- because most of it is such low quality. But this book is unlike most of the books in that category that I have read. It is historically accurate, fun to read, and beautiful!

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read aloud to niece.

[Tisha (IG: Bluestocking629) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh how I adored this book. It truly is a dog's tale: Lewis' dog Seaman a Newfoundland. Wonderfully told tale for children and adults alike.

And the artwork is some of the best I've ever seen.

[Sassafras Patterdale · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art was beautiful, there were (this was why I read it) some updated information about what happened to Seaman that I was particularly interested in for me that was what made this book worth reading.

I didn't like that this book (unlike at least one of the other books from Seaman's perspective) had less cultural sensitivity regarding native communities and people who were encountered - I understand they were using language that was accurate for the time BUT i want better out of books on these subjects

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful biography from the perspective of the dog and his adventures with Lewis & Clark. Great cross-curriculum book on history.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was so funny! I loved it:)))

[Beverly McCall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lewis & Clark & Me: A Dog’s Tale by Laurie Meyers is a story that belongs to Seaman. Who is Seaman? He is a Newfoundland and he accompanied William Clark on the famous Journey of Discovery. William Clark, while in Philadelphia getting boats for the trip, decides to buy a dog, Seaman. Through this narrative Seaman shares the joys of being a companion and the exciting events and people that occur on their journey.
I enjoyed this book and the author’s style. I liked the way she inserts from Lewis’ journals. This use of a primary source gives credence to the facts in the book. I believe that Ms. Meyers provides enough information to make children curious to want to learn more of this expedition. The book is structured in a way to complement learning especially through the illustrations. I recommend this book as a read aloud by teachers as part of an introduction of a unit on Exploration.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

My husband found out about Seaman online and found some books about him that he thought our grandsons would like. This was one of them, and I just read it. I really enjoyed it, and know the boys will, too. I loved the descriptions of the rivers and the wilderness, and Seaman's adventures with beaver, buffalo, and Native Americans. I thought it portrayed the viewpoint of a dog very well!
Now, my plan is to read this short but fascinating book aloud to my husband (who isn't a great reader) tonight so he can enjoy it also.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a fan of Seaman, and try to read all I can about his involvement in the Lewis & Clark expedition. I liked the combination of 'autobiography' and primary sources included at the end of each chapter. This book would be excellent for that.
I was very disappointed that no chapter included the final destination and excitement of seeing the Big Water!

[Lauren Foushee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read aloud to the kids and I thoroughly enjoyed it. My 9 year old said he would give it 3.25 stars. History through a dog’s eyes made it fun and it was written in a way that was engaging and not cheesy. Enjoyed the journal entries at the end of the chapters written by Lewis; they helped tie the story to the history so well.

[Andrea Renfrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kiddo loved the idea of a historical fiction book written from the perspective of an actual dog. So far all the books we have read from an animal's perspective have been fictional characters as well (such as Black Beauty.)

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

We enjoyed this one at mealtimes, told from the perspective of Seaman, with quotes from Lewis' journal. he was quite the companion, perfect for their journey across the US!

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dog's perspective of Lewis & Clark's expedition

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

The journey of Lewis and Clark is one of my favorite topics. We have a Newfoundland and I had to share this with my son. We liked the book.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

We absolutely loved the illustrations. My 8-yr-old had more patience with the story than my 6-yr-old. They both liked hearing the real journal entries from Lewis at the end of each chapter.

[Laurel Benson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great stories about the Lewis and Clark Expedition from the dog's point of view.

[Brittany Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute read! Helped my kids better understand the journey that Lewis and Clark went on.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little simplistic, tells the most exciting parts of Seaman’s journey but doesn’t give a full detailed telling of this adventures.

[Sharon Cate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great children’s (2-3 grade) read for a fresh look at the Lewis and Clark expedition.

[Dyllan Getz · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a short, but so wonderful book! It was very historical and I loved reading it! It had so many facts!
This is another one from reading Olympics.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lewis and Clark and Me: A Dog’s Tale gives a brief retelling of a few events that happened during Meriwether Lewis and William Clark’s expedition of the Louisiana Purchase back in the early 1800s. The best part? The tale is told from a dog‘s perspective! With text that is rich in descriptions and historical accuracy, Lewis’ dog Seaman tells his side of the story in a way that kids can understand. This book is a neat one to get students introduced to historical fiction.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

My son and I absolutely loved this book, until we read the very end. If you have a highly sensitive and empathetic child who loves history and real life stories yet might react negatively to learning about how the dog handled Lewis's death, skip the final historical notes at the end. Death is a part of life, yes, yet when one connects so deeply with the main character (the dog!), and learns about his death, it can be upsetting. It made me sad even as an adult, but as an adult I knew what to do with those feelings. For a little one who is easily overcome by very big feelings, it'd be best to read the book but skip that final note at the end. It gave us an opportunity for further discussion later in the day, but I would have rather skipped that part thus eliminating the great amount of upset that ensued and had that conversation at a later time when it might have been easier to understand the emotions that could surface. I probably should have known to read ahead and stop when things were still good, but we parents can't get it right every time, can we? Overall this was a really great read.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for elementary age kids.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an imaginative look at Lewis & Clark's famous journey! This book is about their journey, but through the eyes of Lewis' dog Seaman. The author did a wonderful dog in keeping with the dog's character - as a dog - and noticing what a dog would notice. I was surprised that there aren't that many children's books about the Lewis & Clark Expedition, but I'm glad that this one - one of the few - was so excellent.

The story way well-written and my children enjoyed it, especially my 4-year-old who loves dogs. She really enjoyed hearing about Seaman's adventures.

And the artwork!! The paintings are absolutely beautiful, realistic, and elevate the book to a whole other level! I was incredibly grateful for the artist who brought so much life to the story through their paintings.

Fantastic book - I highly recommend it!

[Catherine Gillespie · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, telling the story of a famous historical figure through the viewpoint of his or her pet is apparently a huge thing in kid literature. The latest of this genre that we’ve read aloud has been Lewis and Clark and Me: A Dog’s Tale. The book is narrated by Lewis’s dog, Seaman (alternately referred to as Scannon in older books, because Lewis had such atrocious spelling that no one could figure out the animal’s name until recent scholarship decoded it), and each short chapter is based on an incident from Lewis’s actual diaries in which the dog is mentioned. It is a pretty good device, and an engaging way to add depth if you’re studying Lewis and Clark. The pictures are very nice as well.

{Read more reviews of read alouds and books for kids (and adults!) on A Spirited Mind}

[Noah Sebastian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I could have read it by myself, but my mom forgot that and read it to me. The idea that it is told from the p.o.v. of an animal will pull any 6 year old like myself in, like maps in a book -- (see My Father's Dragon) It didn't provide much in terms of actual history or tracking of the Lewis and Clark Trail (my mom was hoping for more of that) but really as a 6 year old I didn't mind. It was more on some of the highlights from the dog's p.o.v. (hunting squirrels and deer, meeting Indians that though the Newfoundland was a bear, etc. That said though, it did give a little prologue on what Lewis and Clark did, and why.

[Hunter H · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book "Lewis and Clark and Me: A Dog's
Tale" by Laurie Myers is a pretty good book. In my opinion it could have been a little better. I thought it was wierd how it's told from the
dog's point of view. But it gave a lot of information on Lewis and Clark. It was pretty exciting. Not really a force you to turn the page book though.

This book is all about some of Lewis and Clarks's adventures. It's really cool to see all of them. And everything that they did. Along with their dog at they're side.

I would give this book a 3/5 stars. Just because it wasn't extremely interesting or anything. I recommend this book to people who want to learn about Lewis and Clarks's history.m