Written by Traci Sorell
Illustrated by Weshoyot Alvitre
Ages 4-8
Penguin Publishing
This book is a poem about a family that waits for their female family member to return from war. It attempts to capture the indigenous feel of this group and the glory of serving in the armed forces. I did not like this book.
Without reading the cover flaps one would never know this family is Cherokee. This poem is beautiful, but to try and extrapolate some kind of cohesive story is challenging. I did not understand the relationships of the family members, who happen to be all female. Nonetheless, I admire how it does try to pay homage to Indigenous women pilots.
The illustration is nice. Thick, black lines outline everything. The draw- ings are intricate and detailed. The use of color is light and powdery. Some pages are panels and it is ap- parent Alvitre is a comic book artist and illustrator.
Overall, I would say this book is boring and confusing. Though, I applaud the messages attempted by this book. For a child this book is fine. It leaves much to be expound- ed upon and could lead to a great parent and child conversation about culture and life. I do not see this being any child’s favorite book. It is a beautiful poem and the artwork is interesting, but together they take away from each other and leave the reader feeling lost.
Editor’s Note: An advance copy of At the Mountain’s Base was provided to the Indian Leader free of charge for review.
