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Synopsis
What if you could close your eyes and open them to find you were amongst hundreds of pioneers in 1843, packing up your covered wagon to travel the 2,000 miles of the Oregon Trail? Meet twins Liz and Lenny and their unique grandmother, who, with the help of her magic hat, can transport the twins to any time in history. In their first journey, the twins spend eight months crossing the country on foot and by covered wagon, braving the mountain ranges and river valleys, battling floods and droughts, and cooking slam-johns and sowbellies over buffalo chips.
Diane Stanley's spirited, humorous, and historically accurate depiction of day-to-day life on the Oregon Trail is brought to life with Holly Berry's energetic illustrations. Overflowing with fun, informative details, and word balloons that capture each piece of dialogue, young readers will be transported into an exciting page in American history alongside the adventurous Time-Traveling Twins.
Children's Pick of the Lists 2000(ABA) and Children's Books 2000-NY Public Lib.
Publishers Weekly
Stanley (Peter the Great) launches a new historical picture book series about the Time Traveling Twins--red-haired brother and sister Lenny and Liz. Left with Grandma while their parents vacation in Paris, the twins soon strike out on an adventure of their own when Grandma whips out her magic hat and whisks them back to 1843. There they meet up with ancestors traveling the Oregon Trail. Stanley serves up a lively blend of fact and fiction as she recounts their journey, shoehorning in information on everything from the rigors of the terrain and weather to trail food ("slam-johns and sowbelly," or pancakes and bacon) and prairie fuel (buffalo chips), as well as citing relevant milestones such as the Panic of 1837 and the Louisiana Purchase. Berry (Market Day) adheres to authentic details in her sprightly cartoon-like illustrations, and she accommodates a balanced mix of straightforward text and speech bubbles that allow Grandma to provide some context (e.g., how Native Americans were affected by the Westward movement). The twins' modern perspective offers generous dollops of humor (a pioneer girl boasts that her doll, Jenny, "even has a second dress!" to which Liz replies, "I have a doll named Barbie, and she has lots of clothes!"). Berry makes use of every inch of space, alternating broad vistas with smaller panels (one series shows how the cooking was done), and the endpapers contrast the Oregon Trail in 1843 to its present-day appearance. Given this altogether appealing, highly useful introduction to an important slice of American history, readers will likely be eager to follow the twins on their next excursion. Ages 5-10. (May) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|