The Little Pioneer

K-Gr 3—Set in 1849, the story follows a young girl's journey westward with her widowed mother and younger brothers in tow. Armed with just a glimmer of hope, the family loads all of their possessions onto an old wooden wagon and embarks on an uncertain trek across the Great Plains. A "gruff" old mountain man by the name of Mr. Reed leads them on their journey. Initially, he is thought of as being a wild man, and the girl avoids him at all cost. However, after being faced with several seemingly insurmountable obstacles, she soon learns that "it helps to know wild folks" in wild places. In the end, the child finds an unlikely hero in both herself and Mr. Reed. Told from the young girl's point of view, the story provides a realistic portrayal of the highs and lows of the budding pioneer's experiences. However, the true brilliance of this story is captured in the illustrations. As the story unfolds, images shift from light to dark, displaying a contrast between hope and despair. Broken dialect add a layer of realism and make characters more appealing. Likewise, a powerful message about hope and resilience serves as an overarching theme.