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Buffalo Bill
The d'Aulaires have captured the allure of one of America's frontier icons in the drama of their lush lithographs and in a text that brings to life the story of the fearless and wild Buffalo Bill.
William F. Cody was born in the middle of the nineteenth century on the plains of Kansas Territory where his family had settled to trade with the friendly Kickapoo Tribe. The Kickapoo children were Bill's childhood playmates and at a tender age he traded his brand-new buckskin suit for a little wild pony that he learned to ride like the wind. By the time he was twelve, he was doing the work of a grown man as a cattle driver, camping under the stars each night. When he was caught in a buffalo stampede his horsemanship saved his life.
Travel along with Bill and his adventures that included meeting wilderness scout Kit Carson, signing up to carry mail on the new Pony Express, fighting in the Civil War, and performing in his Wild West Show which took him around the country for forty years.
William F. Cody was born in the middle of the nineteenth century on the plains of Kansas Territory where his family had settled to trade with the friendly Kickapoo Tribe. The Kickapoo children were Bill's childhood playmates and at a tender age he traded his brand-new buckskin suit for a little wild pony that he learned to ride like the wind. By the time he was twelve, he was doing the work of a grown man as a cattle driver, camping under the stars each night. When he was caught in a buffalo stampede his horsemanship saved his life.
Travel along with Bill and his adventures that included meeting wilderness scout Kit Carson, signing up to carry mail on the new Pony Express, fighting in the Civil War, and performing in his Wild West Show which took him around the country for forty years.
44 pages, Library Binding
First published January 1, 1952
3 people are currently reading
601 people want to read
About the author
Ingri d'Aulaire
47 books167 followersIngri d'Aulaire (1904-1980) was an American children's artist and illustrator, who worked in collaboration with her husband and fellow artist, Edgar Parin d'Aulaire. Born Ingri Mortenson in Kongsburg, Norway, she studied art in Norway, Germany and France, and met Edgar Parin d'Aulaire when she was a student in Munich. They married in 1925, and immigrated to the USA shortly thereafter, settling in Brooklyn in 1929. After pursuing separate careers initially, the couple turned to illustrating children's books together, releasing their first collaborative effort, The Magic Rug, in 1931. They settled in Wilton, Connecticut in 1941, and lived there until their deaths in the 1980s. Awarded the 1940 Caldecott Medal for their picture-book biography of Abraham Lincoln, the d'Aulaires published other children's biographies, as well as some notable works on Greek and Norse mythology. (source: Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
September 23, 2019
This was not my favorite d'Aulaire, though my children enjoyed it. It took a great deal of editing on the go and more explanations to make it respectful to Native Americans.
January 3, 2018
I've often considered the "Wild West" to be fascinating. Cowboys, buffalo, Indians, wagons and life on the pioneer are tantalizing elements of fiction. Perhaps I read a little too much Little House on the Prairie as a girl.
Of all the famous elements of the west, the person who most embodies our ideas of the west is Buffalo Bill Cody. He guided wagons on the Oregon trail; He rode for the Pony Express; he hunted buffalo; he was a friend and sometimes an enemy of the Indians around him; He fought in the Civil War; He served as a guide and scout during the Indian wars. He felt more at home in the wild than in a city, and yet he made a living touring cities and putting on a show for the public based on his exploits.
This book was a book that we chose because it is on the Year one list for Ambleside Online, and I'm finishing up a modified version of year one with all four children. This was one of the last books on my list that I had not read to the kids, and I was glad I didn't skip it. All four children listened intently to the story and shared the things that interested them from the book. This is probably one of the better told d'Aurlaire books.
I asked each of the children to tell me what they would would say if someone asked them about the story, and this is what they said.
Ellie (age 6): Buffalo Bill made a stage show and they liked it.
Connor (age 7): In Buffalo Bill, there were 2 Bills that went by the name Buffalo Bill because they were such good hunters. They made a competition to see who could shoot the most Buffaloes. The one who lost would go back to just being Bill. Buffalo Bill even made it harder on himself to give his rival an advantage. His rival lost to him.
Buffalo Bill started writing his stories down because he made a deal with someone who said he would make him famous. That man was a fast writer.
Emalee (age 11): This was a bad book. There was a lot of killing in it. It was violent. They called a guy fat. It was very dangerous to ride a horse without a saddle. He was a bad example. Kids don't try try this at home. (She was the only child not to give this book a five star rating, and I'm pretty sure she's just trying to be contrary because she seemed to find the book pretty interesting until the other kids did too!)
Bennett (age 12): I would give it ten starts if I could. It was a good book with a lot of adventure. It was violent. Kids should read this. It was a great part of history and a good look at Native Americans. Good historical biography.
This one really is a good addition to your library, both for schooling purposes and just for entertainment. The children also have asked me to add this to our permanent library so they can flip through it and enjoy it.
Of all the famous elements of the west, the person who most embodies our ideas of the west is Buffalo Bill Cody. He guided wagons on the Oregon trail; He rode for the Pony Express; he hunted buffalo; he was a friend and sometimes an enemy of the Indians around him; He fought in the Civil War; He served as a guide and scout during the Indian wars. He felt more at home in the wild than in a city, and yet he made a living touring cities and putting on a show for the public based on his exploits.
This book was a book that we chose because it is on the Year one list for Ambleside Online, and I'm finishing up a modified version of year one with all four children. This was one of the last books on my list that I had not read to the kids, and I was glad I didn't skip it. All four children listened intently to the story and shared the things that interested them from the book. This is probably one of the better told d'Aurlaire books.
I asked each of the children to tell me what they would would say if someone asked them about the story, and this is what they said.
Ellie (age 6): Buffalo Bill made a stage show and they liked it.
Connor (age 7): In Buffalo Bill, there were 2 Bills that went by the name Buffalo Bill because they were such good hunters. They made a competition to see who could shoot the most Buffaloes. The one who lost would go back to just being Bill. Buffalo Bill even made it harder on himself to give his rival an advantage. His rival lost to him.
Buffalo Bill started writing his stories down because he made a deal with someone who said he would make him famous. That man was a fast writer.
Emalee (age 11): This was a bad book. There was a lot of killing in it. It was violent. They called a guy fat. It was very dangerous to ride a horse without a saddle. He was a bad example. Kids don't try try this at home. (She was the only child not to give this book a five star rating, and I'm pretty sure she's just trying to be contrary because she seemed to find the book pretty interesting until the other kids did too!)
Bennett (age 12): I would give it ten starts if I could. It was a good book with a lot of adventure. It was violent. Kids should read this. It was a great part of history and a good look at Native Americans. Good historical biography.
This one really is a good addition to your library, both for schooling purposes and just for entertainment. The children also have asked me to add this to our permanent library so they can flip through it and enjoy it.
May 18, 2020
History is written by the winners. That is blazingly clear in this book. It made me sad to see so much negative portrayal of indigenous people in these pages & praising the atrocities done to them.
February 28, 2024
bill is wild and this was the easiest school book ever
May 14, 2025
I've never been too taken by this particular d'Aulaire biography—I do love the history of westward expansion, but give me the Oregon Trail or Laura Ingalls Wilder rather than Buffalo Bill, who seems like a rather random figure beside other biographical subjects like Washington, Franklin, Lincoln, Pocahontas. (Perhaps Buffalo Bill was more of an icon when the book was published, not too many decades after his death in 1917.)
However, it was fun to read this time around (vs. 3 years ago) with so much more context under my kids' belts.
The time period? "Around the time of Abraham Lincoln."
Traveling westward in a covered wagon? Railroad camps? Buffalo hunted out? "Like in Laura and Mary."
I ended up valuing the book for the way it tied together several strands of the story that we had already encountered separately—the wide open plains and their original inhabitants, both human and animal, then the transformation of the prairie with the coming of railroads and white settlers. Bill Cody even fights in the Civil War, giving the story yet another historical anchor.
The book also provides an interesting snapshot of how civilization is built, how towns and commerce and industry spring up from uncultivated land. This is the same story that plays out all through world history, but one of the fascinating aspects of westward expansion is how very quickly it happens: within the space of a single lifetime in this case.
The very afternoon we finished the book together, my 1st grade daughter began reading it to her stuffed bunny. I think that is a stamp of approval!
However, it was fun to read this time around (vs. 3 years ago) with so much more context under my kids' belts.
The time period? "Around the time of Abraham Lincoln."
Traveling westward in a covered wagon? Railroad camps? Buffalo hunted out? "Like in Laura and Mary."
I ended up valuing the book for the way it tied together several strands of the story that we had already encountered separately—the wide open plains and their original inhabitants, both human and animal, then the transformation of the prairie with the coming of railroads and white settlers. Bill Cody even fights in the Civil War, giving the story yet another historical anchor.
The book also provides an interesting snapshot of how civilization is built, how towns and commerce and industry spring up from uncultivated land. This is the same story that plays out all through world history, but one of the fascinating aspects of westward expansion is how very quickly it happens: within the space of a single lifetime in this case.
The very afternoon we finished the book together, my 1st grade daughter began reading it to her stuffed bunny. I think that is a stamp of approval!
December 16, 2016
Reading this with my seven year old made me curious to learn more about this man who made a lifelong career out of his title. What a time it must have been to be exploring the lands of the west! I think I'll be looking for an adult biography sometime soon.
May 28, 2020
Note: there are some descriptions of hostile Native Americans/removal to reservations that may feel uncomfortable. This mentioned (from a settler's point of view) the harsh realities of hostile attacks, including mentions of scalping and shooting. I found it mostly fair, also portraying a peaceful, friendly tribe. However, the part that made me uncomfortable was this: "One tribe after another was rounded up and sent off to reservations. Soon the last hostile Indian was forced to move toward the setting sun." In my opinion, this made it sound as if ONLY the hostile peoples were sent away, and/or ALL those forced to leave were hostile, and that was absolutely not the case. So, some clarification would have been good, but that can easily be done in a conversation about the topic and supplementary books.
This is a touchy subject, but Pony Express riders and settlers did have terrible trouble with being attacked without personally provoking the tribes. In that light, this book is merely relating those historical realities, albeit not exactly including the other side of the story. Again, that's where additional books come in.
This is a touchy subject, but Pony Express riders and settlers did have terrible trouble with being attacked without personally provoking the tribes. In that light, this book is merely relating those historical realities, albeit not exactly including the other side of the story. Again, that's where additional books come in.
May 20, 2019
Nice bio about Buffalo Bill Cody. He lived a fascinating life during the western expansion of our Nation's development. Gorgeous illustrations and dealt with the sensitive issue of settlers and native populations very well, especially considering the publication date. We have loved every book by the D'aulaires
October 7, 2015
This is a wonderful story. The illustration is as always lovely. The writing is a little bit uneven.
August 1, 2015
Jacob and mom rate 4 stars, Ellie 2 stars.
March 12, 2019
Not sure how accurate it is, but it was a very enjoyable book with good illustrations. Kids liked it and so did I.
July 3, 2019
Gabe loved this book. It was a fun children's bio told in story form and the illustrations were great. It inspired us to get a wild west game called "Flick 'em Up" and it's really fun.
July 18, 2019
Amelia says she loved it.
December 13, 2019
Excellent bit of history, with illustration that children enjoy.
July 12, 2025
The d'Aulaires are iconic in their artistry, but it's definitely of its time re: the implicit defense of European people pushing native people off their lands. Thankfully, I'm the teacher so I was able to confirm my kids' instinctive understanding that this was unjust. On the plus side, it made us want to go straight to a Laura Ingalls Wilder book next!
June 27, 2025
I felt like this book looked head-on at the atrocities committed against the Indians, there just wasn’t a resolution to Bill “seeing the error of his ways.” I also think we have to be careful looking at 19th century people through a 21st century lens.
October 17, 2025
This is, surprisingly, one of my favorite d’Aulaires yet! We read this for TruthQuest History III, and my Year 3 and Year 1 both enjoyed it (even Daddy tried to listen in on this one 🥰 - there’s something about that Wild West).
March 28, 2020
My kids love these books. They are well written and educational.
April 10, 2020
The boys loved this one! We are going to visit his grave up the hill from Golden, when the Coronavirus stuff is over.
April 7, 2023
An interesting book I read with my granddaughter - to her delight! She decided she wasn’t impressed with Buffalo Bill because he was too prideful!
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May 1, 2023read aloud year 1
March 12, 2024
The best in the world. -Lilia
April 2, 2024
We love just about anything the D'Aulaires have written, this was no exception. A well written historical story for children with excellent illustrations.
August 23, 2024
My least favorite of the d'Aulaire's books.
August 31, 2025
AO Form 1 free read. Read with Lewis (6) and Millie (4.5). Really enjoyed it! I did not know Bill’s story at all, so was fascinated!
March 24, 2025
3.6
Tough to decide on a rating. A rather cavalier attitude toward the Native Americans, but that's to be expected given that this was written in 1952. Even so, as a child, I think my sympathies would have been with the 'Indians.' To me, BB was a colorful character, but I've never cared for showmanship.
Probably my earliest memory of him is the grave on Lookout Mountainn, which is mentioned at the end of the story.
Tough to decide on a rating. A rather cavalier attitude toward the Native Americans, but that's to be expected given that this was written in 1952. Even so, as a child, I think my sympathies would have been with the 'Indians.' To me, BB was a colorful character, but I've never cared for showmanship.
Probably my earliest memory of him is the grave on Lookout Mountainn, which is mentioned at the end of the story.
July 19, 2025
The 6 year old boy was fascinated with this glimpse into the Wild West. Three stars because Buffalo Bill is depicted shooting an “Indian”, and because of the generally negative view of our country’s First People.
August 12, 2022
this was apart of our 2022-2023 educational year- I read it aloud to form 1 & 2 students. this book requires some conversations but I’m still glad we read/discussed the Wild West.
May 31, 2016
Buffalo Bill
d'Aulaire, Ingri
a short history book for children
d'Aulaire, Ingri
a short history book for children
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews