The Last Buffalo by Ed Kienzle

Pages:  214

Genre: Middle Grade Adventure

Source: Received a copy from the author

From Goodreads:

The Last Buffalo Little Kettle watches, heartbroken, as the last buffalo falls lifeless to the ground in what he has come to call The Winter of the Red Snow. Little Kettle has been waging a personal battle to stop the killing as the animals leave Yellowstone seeking winter forage. When his nephew Wyman is born, Little Kettle passes the mantle of protecting the buffalo to him, proclaiming the boy the Keeper of the Buffalo. Though he instills in Wyman a deep love for the animal that once ruled the Western Plains, the youngster struggles under the weight of the this great responsibility he's been asked to bear. He yearns for a more normal life. Wyman gives up the task for a short time but then the dreams come. Or are they visions? Join Wyman and his newfound friends Alex and Jacob as they share a great adventure in and around Yellowstone. A bear, a peace-pipe, an Indian maiden, a mysterious shape shifter, and a touch of mysticism teaches the trio about their and the buffaloes past. Love trust and persistence lead them to discover the secrets of their dreams and fulfill the role of Keeper of the Buffalo. The Last Buffalo is geared toward young readers who enjoy the outdoors, or children in whom parents wish to instill a sense of respect, a spirit of compromise and an appreciation for nature.

My Thoughts

As I read this book I began to think about a movie I saw in the late 1970's called The White Buffalo. It was about Wild Bill Hickok and Crazy Horse chasing after a white buffalo.  This white buffalo haunts their visions or dreams.  That was the part that reminded me of this book.  The three children in the book all have the same dream or vision of a white buffalo.  The major difference between the movie and the book was in the movie they were trying to kill the buffalo.  In the book the idea was to save this rare buffalo.   I found the environmental message to be just as important today as it would have been years ago.  Don't know what the message is I'm talking about?  Read the book.  I am looking forward to putting this book on my shelves at school. It is a book that will be enjoyed by both boys and girls.