ALA Booklist (Wed Nov 01 00:00:00 CST 2006)

Using the perspective of a fictional recruit, Garland recounts the history of the six African American cavalry regiments that served the U.S. from 1866 through 1953. Nicknamed buffalo soldiers by the Cheyenne Indians because of their curly hair and bravery, the men protected settlers on the western frontier, marched up San Juan Hill in 1898, and continued to serve until the military was integrated at the end of the Korean War. Garland's mythical enlistee sees the regiment as a means to earn a steady income, obtain an education, and gain respect, despite adversity on and off the battlefield. Himler's vibrant illustrations capture the broad vistas of western landscape, the excitement of horseback pursuit, and the hardships of the work, at the same time conveying respect for the loyal soldiers who endured it all. An author's note provides more about these soldiers and their contributions, making this an excellent introduction to a sometimes-overlooked part of American history.

Horn Book (Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2007)

Joey is a fine farm horse sold for cavalry use in World War I. Through Joey's Black Beauty-esque narration, readers learn of the futility of cavalry against machine guns; the loss of Joey's companion, Topthorn; and Joey's reunion with the farm boy who loves him. At times deeply affecting, the story balances the horror with moments of respite and care.

Kirkus Reviews

Eloquent for all its brevity, this fictional soldier's reminiscence traces nearly the whole real history of the Buffalo Soldiers, from the Indian Wars to WWII, and is reinforced by both a meaty introduction and a closing bibliography. No longer a slave, but seeing no future in sharecropping, the narrator writes, "I walk to New Orleans and put by X on the line / when I hear tell the U.S. Army is looking for young Negro men / to serve on the Western frontier." Through the course of a decades-long career, he faces challenges from a drill sergeant "mean as a skunk" to attacks by bandits and Apache while escorting surveyors and settlers, recalling good times and bad, and even a charge up San Juan Hill in the Spanish American War. He closes with an old man's ruminations on the familiar sounding complaints of his grandson, who writes from another war about mean sergeants and bad food: "I just have to smile, and nod my head. / You see, once I was a soldier, too." Himler's full-bleed western scenes add proper amounts of drama, touches of humor and natural-looking details to this engrossing tribute. (Picture book/nonfiction. 8-10)

School Library Journal (Fri Dec 01 00:00:00 CST 2006)

Gr 3-6 They promise to pay me thirteen dollars a month. More money than that I never saw at once. This poetic narrative evokes the emotion of emancipation and the courage and endurance of a newly freed man who joins the U.S. Army, protecting new settlements from Indians and bandits while earning a living, an education, and the respect of his country. He worries about family left at home and takes pride in a paycheck, finding a new life but facing loneliness in a life lived apart from loved ones. Sally says she hopes my fingers freeze off so I cant sign up for five more years. Paired with watercolor illustrations, each spread echoes the daily life of a buffalo soldier. This brief story both informs and pulls at the heartstrings of readers as the retired man compares his experiences to those of his son fighting in World War II, while readers view the shadow of his former comrades riding past his porch rocker. Mary Elam, Forman Elementary School, Plano, TX