Even though this is a picture book, I would recommend it for older readers, such as 4th-8th grade. This is because it is quite wordy and a lot of the undertones of the story would be missed by younger readers. the illustrator does a fantastic job of depicted just how expansive the Nebraska Territory is with bleak paintings of fields of dry grass that seem to go on forever. Before reading this book I had not thought much about the trials new settlers faced in the expanding western territories of the U.S. To read about the characters traveling for days on end and never seeing animals, water, or other humans was mind-boggling. I could not imagine being three hours from my closest neighbors or having to dig a well to get to water.
The physical challenges are just the beginning of the experience for these new settlers. The mental toll of this new lifestyle is briefly eluded to in the young girl's recognition of how her mother seems to be struggling with this new place. She is worried for her mom and wants to figure out ways to make things easier on her. This book would be a great starting point for having a discussion on the emotional impact of immigration. It would be cool to have students put themselves mentally in the position of the characters and think critically how they would cope. You could have students write from the perspective of the settlers. This would be an awesome way to incorporate writing and history into a single activity.
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