Author: Paul Goble
Title: Buffalo WOMAN
Illustrator: Paul Goble
Publisher: Bradbury Press Inc.
Year: 1984
Genre: Multicultural
Format: Hardcover
Reading Level: Self- Extending
Interest Level: Elementary
Topics: Indians, animals, food, transformations, family, love
Summary: This book is about a hunter looking for a buffalo cow to shoot with his arrow. Before he shoots, he is distracted by a young beautiful woman. The Indian hunter becomes aware of the young woman's looks and notices that she is different from other women. She is more like an animal- a buffalo to be specific. The woman convinces the man to marry her. The woman is from Buffalo Nation and wants the Indian man to make peace with the animals and not shoot them. The two marry and have son named Calf Boy. The Indian's family does not like the young woman or her son because they are half animal. The mother does not like that she is not accepted by her husband's family. She runs away in anger with her son- Calf Boy to Buffalo Nation where she reunites with her family. The Indian man is mad that his wife and son ran away and he goes on a search to find them. He comes across a herd of buffalo. The head of the buffalo tells the Indian to find his wife and child in the big herd of buffalo at Buffalo Nation. If he finds his wife and child, the buffalo will accept him into their Buffalo Nation. Sure enough he finds his wife and son right away, with the help of his son. He is then accepted into Buffalo Nation. The Indian is then transformed into a buffalo so he can spend the rest of his life in happiness with the two loves of his life- his wife and son. This is legend of kinship between animal and man. The illustrator's paintings are very vibrant and beautiful.
Extension Activity: Have children act out story while it is being read. Students would be picked to play each character in the book. A narrator would be chosen to read the story aloud. The kids could dress up as either Indians or buffalo depending on their character. The children in the classroom who were not assigned to a main - major character in the story could choose to be either the family of the Indian hunter man, or the herd of family buffalo. Every child would have a part in the story so no one would feel left out. Indian clothing and feathers, buffalo horns and skins would be provided for kids to wear.
