Buffalo Ways

Coming September 29th, 2026 with Holiday House

Buffalo Ways: The Enduring Story of Buffalo and the First Peoples of North America, illustrated by the wonderfully talented William Burns (Lakota).

 

 

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

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Holiday House Books for Young ReadersREVIEWS

STARRED REVIEW!

Havrelock, Deidre. Buffalo Ways: The ­Enduring Story of Buffalo and the First Peoples of North America. illus. by William Burns. 40p. (Books for a Better Earth). ­Holiday House. Sept. 2026. Tr $19.99. ISBN 9780823450374.  
Gr 2-6–This beautifully told and illustrated book centers on the mutually beneficial ­relationship between Indigenous People and buffalo that began thousands of years ago. The author, a member of the Saddle Creek Cree Nation, tells the story of the Ice Age surviving bison that at once covered the Great Plains of North America. When the First People settled into the buffalo’s ­habitat, a relationship formed. Later, a spiritual bond developed that strengthened the connection between the two groups. With the arrival of Europeans, the buffalo became nearly extinct. Thanks to the efforts of several prominent Indigenous leaders, the buffalo have survived, and the US and Canadian governments have taken steps to ensure their survival. The text provides a compelling history that is further detailed in the back matter. Indigenous leaders are named, and the ­languages of many nations are included in the text. The illustrations resemble oil paintings; thick brush strokes and emotional colors effectively portray the buffalo, its surroundings, and the people who have connected with them for thousands of years. VERDICT Highly recommended. An artfully illuminating study of human and animal interactions, as well as the human impact on nature.–John Scott 

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL

 

 

ANOTHER STARRED REVIEW!

A sweeping account of the buffalo’s near extinction and recovery.

Drawing on her own family history, Havrelock (Saddle Lake Plains Cree) traces buffalo from their Ice Age relatives (giant bison, Bison latifrons) to their central role in Plains life—spiritual, material, and ecological—through the devastation wrought by European settlers, who brought with them disease and pushed Indigenous peoples off their land in pursuit of the hide trade. At the heart of the book is Latatitsa (Little Peregrine Falcon Robe), a 19th-century Pend d’Oreille man who, carrying out his father’s dream, rounds up orphaned calves and shepherds them home through the Rocky Mountains; this herd becomes foundational to the species’ survival. Havrelock’s prose is dignified and measured, and she is careful to credit the wide coalition—Indigenous peoples, ranchers, national parks, and the U.S. and Canadian governments—whose combined efforts brought the buffalo back. Burns’ digital illustrations are painterly and textural, layering scumbled brushwork over collagelike backgrounds. In a sumptuous nighttime spread, a ring of wolves with eerie, glowing eyes lurks above a firelit foreground where Latatitsa guards his calves; through masterly use of page composition, Burns separates the cold blue of danger from the warm sanctuary of the campfire. Generous backmatter includes an author’s note, a timeline, the Buffalo Treaty, and resources for learning more about these animals.

A beautiful, stirring, and timeless tribute to buffalo and the First Peoples whose care brought them back from the brink. (Informational picture book. 4-8)

KIRKUS REVEIWS