Wagons Ho!

K-Gr 3—Excitement is high and challenges abound when a family relocates halfway across the country. This was true for early settlers following the Oregon Trail, and it is still true today. Pictures and text follow two such westward moves: the Johnsons in 1846 and the Millers in 2011. Colorful spreads provide side-by-side and top-to-bottom comparisons of travel in the difference centuries. Carefully chosen facts make contrasts and similarities easy to comprehend. Cartoon panels and brief text highlight the preparations, the goodbyes, and daily activities on the way. Some things are very different (speed of travel), yet others are quite similar (missing friends). Introductory paragraphs provide more facts and information. Readers will relate to the travel activities and smile at the humor in the pen-and-ink and watercolor drawings. Together, the art and text make a good introduction to the Westward Movement. The format is best suited for individual or small-group reading. Fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder's "Little House" series (HarperCollins) will appreciate this fictional/factual picture book.—Carolyn Janssen, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH