The illustrations are beautiful and the story is nice, but the fact that there was no mention of Native Americans in a book about pioneers traveling west made it seem like it was lacking something.

American pioneer story written by a Brit. Besides being a snippet of history, it's also the story of how a journey changes the travelers.

Final copy via publisher.

This book is as epic as the vast western landscape it describes. Reading it, I was overwhelmed with nostalgia for old John Wayne films. In fact, the protagonist reminded me of another spunky heroine, Mattie, from the film True Grit. This story of her perseverance and survival stands out from a crowd of bubbly and glittery picture books for kids. It captures the romance of the wild west without disguising how truly difficult it was. And somehow, this picture book still seems age appropriate. Successfully finding that balance, The Little Pioneer is a gem that should not be missed.

Final copy via publisher.

This book is focused on one pioneer girl, but completely erases the Native Americans who lived on the land. This glaring omission serves to perpetuate the systemic erasure of Native peoples in this country.