Thomas Jefferson and the Mammoth Hunt

October 1, 2018
An account of a presidential search for notoriety.Colonists have settled America and declared independence from the British. President Thomas Jefferson embarks on a new war with a French naturalist, who declares that nothing worthwhile--people nor animals--exists in the New World. Determined to prove him wrong, Jefferson commissions an epic search that uncovers a giant sloth, which is named Megalonyx jeffersonii in his honor but doesn't impress the Frenchman. When woolly mammoth bones surface on a New York farm, Jefferson finally has his notoriety, and they are immediately sent to the White House, with another set bound for a Parisian museum. Despite the extensive backmatter, the story lacks historical context for the characters and events. Moreover, the digital, watercolor-style illustrations perpetuate stereotypes: A Native American in a feathered headdress (the only one in the book) peers from behind a tree; enslaved black figures work next to white ones in a semblance of parity. People of color are voiceless and have indeterminate facial features, rendering them homogenous and secondary in importance to white characters. One strongly worded backmatter paragraph about slavery (with no mention of Native peoples) is insufficient; such a complex historical event warrants address in the primary narrative in order to merit the attention of young readers today.Whether to educate or to entertain, this book succeeds on neither front, told as it is from a colonialist viewpoint. (Informational picture book. 4-8)

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October 15, 2018
Clickard (Dumpling Dreams) employs rhyming nonfiction to recount Thomas Jefferson’s search for mammoth bones in the newly formed United States. Jefferson wants to refute French scientist Georges-Louis Leclerc, who trivializes the nascent nation: “He claimed the New World/ was a chilly, swampy place,/ filled with puny, scrawny creatures,/ every species, breed, and race.” Leclerc, also known as Count Buffon, subscribes to a degeneracy theory, suggesting that European immigrants and their children settling in “an unprolific land” (the U.S.) would become degenerate. Jefferson enlists the help of Daniel Boone, Lewis and Clark, and others to search for large animals or their fossil remains, until he is finally able to send a mastodon skeleton to France. Carpenter’s (Have You Heard About Lady Bird) digitally rendered illustrations are full of playful soupçons—Jefferson measures mouse holes and moose antlers in one series of vignettes—complementing the jaunty verse. A full-page author’s note (dedicating the book to the “lost voices” of slave laborers involved in the search), further reading list, primary source quotes, and a glossary conclude this true tale. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Tricia Lawrence, Erin Murphy Literary.

February 1, 2019

Gr 3-8-This rhyming tale provides an amusing and thought-provoking look at a little-known chapter in U.S. history. The book traces Thomas Jefferson's Enlightenment-era rivalry with France's Count Buffon whose Histoire Naturelle claimed that the Americas produced "degenerate" species. Jefferson is shown engaged in a decades-long quest to prove the New World's value, enlisting scores of others, throughout his ascent from governor of Virginia to the Presidency. Jefferson is finally vindicated when mammoth skeletons are recovered in New York and one is shipped to Paris for good measure. Clickard's text relates the events with a witty flair: rhymes like "ceremony" with "megalonyx jeffersonii" beg to be read aloud. While Jefferson's political office is unnamed at the start of the book, key events are narrated clearly, and the author's note in the back matter provides comprehensive detail. However, Carpenter's watercolor-style digital illustrations are what give this book its depth. Nearly every important scene includes at least one person of color. End matter includes a list for further reading, biographical and historical notes, and quotes from primary sources that inspired the book. The author's note also poses several poignant questions about the value of Jefferson's pursuit in light of the horrible shadows over our nation at the time, such as slavery and the genocide of Native peoples. The book is dedicated to these unheard voices. VERDICT A worthy addition to collections seeking more material on history and STEM topics, particularly for classroom use.-Kelly Jahng, South Park Elementary School, IL

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