Dunn, Joeming. Graphic History The Oregon Trail. Illustrated by Tim Smith III. Magic Wagon, a division of ABDO Publishing Group, Edina, Minnesota, 2009. grades 3-6. Social Studies/History
ISBN 978-1-60270-183-0
Readers will literally get lost in this non-fiction book misleadingly titled The Oregon Trail, despite the brightly colored and prominent table of contents, time line, fast facts, glossary, index, and website pages. Although the events are historically accurate, only chapter 5 of 6 total includes lackluster historical facts about the actual Oregon Trail, omitting high interest details such as caulking wagons, circling wagons, diet, dangers, mileage, prairie schooner contents, an atypical synonym for Conestoga wagon. Also disappointing were the lifeless comic book style illustrations, static to the point of unnecessary dialogue bubbles, and a peopleless, uncarved hilly storyboard of minimally mentioned landmarks like Chimney Rock. The two pages with earthy-colored, savage, hostile Native Americans contradict the Fast Facts page describing them as helpful and mainly friendly. Website links offered no activities, and the short glossary was not inclusive of such vocabulary as sub-Indian agent. The expressionless history lesson was a disappointing destiny of excessive pre and post Oregon Trail facts from the Louisiana Purchase to the Civil War, which included a brilliantly blundered British flag drawing. To travel this trail, the reader might require a time machine to maneuver time and setting jumps in chapters one and five, and rationales given for traveling the Trail meandering in and out of two chapters.
Rhonda Huddle, Bowling Green State University, EDTL 6950
ISBN 978-1-60270-183-0
Readers will literally get lost in this non-fiction book misleadingly titled The Oregon Trail, despite the brightly colored and prominent table of contents, time line, fast facts, glossary, index, and website pages. Although the events are historically accurate, only chapter 5 of 6 total includes lackluster historical facts about the actual Oregon Trail, omitting high interest details such as caulking wagons, circling wagons, diet, dangers, mileage, prairie schooner contents, an atypical synonym for Conestoga wagon. Also disappointing were the lifeless comic book style illustrations, static to the point of unnecessary dialogue bubbles, and a peopleless, uncarved hilly storyboard of minimally mentioned landmarks like Chimney Rock. The two pages with earthy-colored, savage, hostile Native Americans contradict the Fast Facts page describing them as helpful and mainly friendly. Website links offered no activities, and the short glossary was not inclusive of such vocabulary as sub-Indian agent. The expressionless history lesson was a disappointing destiny of excessive pre and post Oregon Trail facts from the Louisiana Purchase to the Civil War, which included a brilliantly blundered British flag drawing. To travel this trail, the reader might require a time machine to maneuver time and setting jumps in chapters one and five, and rationales given for traveling the Trail meandering in and out of two chapters.
Rhonda Huddle, Bowling Green State University, EDTL 6950
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