ALA Booklist (Sat Apr 01 00:00:00 CST 2006)

Gr. 5 8. Joseph Medicine Crow was born in 1913 on the Crow Indian Reservation in southeastern Montana. Trained as a warrior by his grandfather and unaware of the struggles of the tribe, Medicine Crow fondly remembers a childhood filled with outdoor games, mud fights, and family gatherings. Despite a terrible experience at the Baptist mission school, he went away to boarding school in Oklahoma, and in 1938, he became the first male Crow Indian to graduate from college. He studied anthropology until he was inducted into the army in 1942. For Medicine Crow's bravery in World War II, he was declared a Crow war chief. Four pages of color photos show Medicine Crow in traditional regalia, several family members, and a drawing of Sioux and U.S. soldiers at the Battle of the Little Big Horn. Medicine Crow's straightforward style and gentle humor make his recollections easy to read and hard to forget, and they provide a cultural context and understanding that is rare in books about American Indians for middle readers.

Horn Book (Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 CST 2004)

In a conversational voice, Lekuton, a Maasai, describes episodes of growing up a nomadic tribesman in Africa. He addresses the ways Maasai life differs from American life without making Maasai ways sound strange or exotic. Two pages of clear color photos and a map add visual reference. The message that readers can become what they wish by perseverance and dedication comes through loud and clear.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

This involving, anecdotal autobiography sketches the childhood of Lekuton, who grew up in northern Kenya, a member of a subgroup within the Maa culture known as the Ariaal. He explains that the beloved cows dictate where their nomadic "village" wanders: "If the grass runs out or the water dries up, we move. If there's better grazing land somewhere else, we move." Articulate and likable, the author easily ushers readers into his primitive yet colorful culture as he vividly describes aspects of his people's way of life. His topics range from the quotidian (the practice of drinking milk mixed with cow's blood; the youngsters' responsibility for the herd's calves; the role of the "pinching man," who metes out punishment to village children) to the momentous (the elaborate circumcision ritual that young men undergo on the path to becoming a "warrior"). Following the government's dictate that one boy in every nomadic family go to school, Lekuton attended a school run by American missionaries (and, depending on where his family was living at the time, walked up to 40 miles home at vacation time), went on to enroll in an elite boarding school in Nakuru, received a scholarship at St. Lawrence University in New York and currently teaches at a private school near Washington, D.C.—and, during school vacations, guides American visitors through his Maasai home. An intriguing portrait of a remarkable life and a culture little known to most American readers. Photos not seen by <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">PW. Ages 12-up. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(Sept.)

School Library Journal (Wed Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2003)

Gr 6-9 This autobiographical account by a member of a nomadic subgroup within the Maasai people in northern Kenya provides a unique and insightful picture of life in a culture in which cattle are the measure of wealth. Lekuton is at his most lyrical when telling of his and his family's relationships with their cattle. While he paints a picture of a supportive family and community, his is by no means an idyllic life. From the age of five, he watched the cows all day, awake to possible danger while playing make-believe games. However, his life as a nomad changed forever when, at age six, he became the designated child of his family who was obligated by law to go to school. In spite of an enduring love and respect for his family and their way of life, school exerted a pull so strong on Lekuton that he went from the mission school to an elite high school to college in the United States, and now teaches history at a private school in Virginia. The account of these years is filled with colorful anecdotes and tales of physical endurance. While readers may notice an almost complete absence of girls in the narrative, Lekuton's story touches a universal chord, and shows readers the beauty of another culture from the inside. Simple and direct enough for reluctant readers, and written in a conversational and occasionally wryly humorous style, this book will be enjoyed by a wide range of readers and should spark much discussion. A few excellent-quality photos enhance the presentation. Sue Giffard, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, New York City