Paiute Princess

Starred review from May 21, 2012
Pulling from rich source materials and including selections from Thocmetony Winnemucca’s writings, Ray honors the remarkable Native American activist from the Paiute tribe of Nevada. When white settlers colonize Paiute land, Winnemucca’s grandfather, Chief Truckee, advocates for her to learn English and white customs. But as Paiute people are massacred and forced onto reservations, Winnemucca (1844–1891) uses her skills as an orator, writer, and dramatic performer to spread awareness about the unjust treatment of natives. Powerful language and blazing orange, earth, and jewel-toned chalk drawings create a stirring testament to one individual’s conviction. Ages 8–up. Agent: George Nicholson, Sterling Lord Literistic.

April 15, 2012
Sarah Winnemucca's fearless determination along with her talent for languages and her commitment to education for her people made her a striking spokesperson, lecturer and educator. Ray's biography encompasses Winnemucca's life from childhood through her work with the Peabody School she founded in 1885 in Lovelock, Nev. The heartbreak and challenges Sarah's Paiute people experienced as gold and silver mining brought English-speaking settlers in droves to the Great Basin of Utah, Nevada and California form the core of the narrative. A picture-book trim size allows for substantial blocks of text to accompany Ray's luminous full-page paintings, each focusing on a chapter of Winnemucca's life. Quotations from Winnemucca's autobiography as well as from other contemporary writings augment the account. Extensive backmatter offers more information about Winnemucca's life (Ray explains that the term "princess" was conferred by white journalists) and her people, extending the range for this work well into middle school. The lack of page numbers or index is a slight problem for navigating back through the work, but the clarity of the narrative will make this an excellent read-aloud for older listeners. A compelling introduction to an extraordinary leader. (author's note, map, timeline, bibliography) (Biography. 9-13)

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Starred review from July 1, 2012

Gr 3-6-Ray's powerful picture-book biography vividly depicts the life of a Native American woman whose efforts to seek justice for the Paiute tribe deserve greater attention. Born in 1844 in present-day Nevada, Winnemucca found that her tribe's traditional way of life was in danger of disappearing under the onslaught of settlers, miners, railroad workers, and ranchers descending upon the American West. Organized chronologically, the book depicts her journey as she became "a child of two worlds": she had a rare opportunity to experience and appreciate white culture and to learn English, but continued to cherish her heritage and resisted the brutality and oppression visited upon her tribe by the burgeoning reservation system. Winnemucca's unusual upbringing contributed to her varied achievements as an adult. Ray covers her accomplishments as a performer, interpreter and scout for the U.S. Army, educator, and spokesperson and activist, highlighting particularly dramatic moments with expressive, poignant illustrations. Well-chosen quotations from Winnemucca's autobiography, the first written by a Native American woman in English, allow her own voice to drive the narrative and bring "Princess Sarah" to life. Detailed back matter makes it clear that Ray chose to end the book on a hopeful note that may be most appropriate for the intended audience, but does not portray the despair Winnemucca felt at the end of her life. An essential purchase, providing a new perspective on westward expansion and insight into the life of an inspiring but little-known civil rights crusader.-Kate Hewitt, Far Brook School, Short Hills, NJ

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2012
Grades 4-7 Ray begins her biography of Sarah Winnemucca with an 1883 speech Sarah gave in Christ Church, Philadelphia. Interspersing selected quotes from that speech into her own third-person narrative, Ray presents Sarah's life from her birth as Thocmetony in 1844 to her death in 1871. Early in Sarah's life, her grandfather recognized her innate ability to grasp languages and encouraged her to learn English. She did but then found herself caught between two worldsthe whites and the Paiutesand not appreciated by either. Throughout, Sarah remained a peacemaker, although her attempts were often met with deceit and heartbreak. Ray's descriptive language and her evocative mixed-media illustrations combine to create a moving story. Especially captivating are the paintings depicting the harshness with which the Paiutes contended. Significant back matter, including a hand-drawn colored map, concludes.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)