Based upon a true account of celebrating the 4th of July on the Oregon Trail, this lovely picture-book from author Jean Van Leeuwen and illustrator Henri Sorenson offers a brief portrait of our national holiday as it was celebrated by a group of 19th-century pioneers. When Jesse's father announces the wagon train will stop a few days to rest, the young boy is happy for the holiday, but dismayed to find that he is excluded from all the preparatory activities. Too young to go hunting with the men, too disaster-prone to be allowed to seek a flagpole with his brothers, he wonders what he can do to contribute. Then, on the day of celebration, he has a bright ideas, and organizes all the young boys into an impromptu band...

According to the author's brief note, the story of A Fourth of July on the Plains is based upon an account found in the diary of E.W. Conyers, held by the Oregon Pioneer Association. It isn't clear to me how closely the narrative here follows the memoir, so I have added this to my 'historical fiction' shelf. In any case, the story follows a fairly traditional line, and although it is historical, it chronicles an experience common to childhood - namely, the frustration felt by younger children, at not being able to do everything they want, and their happiness at finding a way to participate. In a very different form, this is also the story of Barbar M. Joosse's Fourth of July, which I read recently, and which was published in 1985. A useful reminder that, although historical circumstances change, the human condition does not. The artwork by Sorenson, done in watercolor, ink pen and colored pencils, was lovely, and had an impressionistic style. This is one I would recommend to anyone seeking picture-books about the Oregon Trail, the pioneers of the American west, or the Fourth of July. ( )

Perhaps it is due to the fact that I am not a very patriotic person, but I didn't really like this book. It is not poorly written, and as far as I can tell, considering my limited knowledge on the subject, it accurately depicts what life would have been like for those traversing the Oregon Trail. However, I think the thing that bothers me about this story is the glorification of "the good ol' days," as some might call them. Any story that paints a happy picture of America at a time when life was so fraught with horrors for those who were not white does not sit well with me. If you are teaching a lesson about the Oregon Trail, I suppose that this book would compliment your lesson well enough. That being said, this would not be my first choice to read to my students. ( )

This book is about a young boy, Jesse, and his family's travels across the plains in the 1850's. Despite their hardships of traveling across America in wagons, Jesse's family and friends decide to have a grand Fourth of July celebration. Jesse wants to help out in any way he can, but he has a hard time finding his place. Finally, Jesse comes up with the idea to create a makeshift band with his friends to sing "Yankee Doodle" to be included in the celebrations.
This book can give a good perspective to children, it is important to learn about how people celebrated our country's freedom in past years. ( )

This book is based on true accounts of the Oregon Trail. Jesse and his family are pioneers traveling from their home in Indiana to Oregon. As they travel across the frontier, the band of wagons and families stop to celebrate the Fourth of July. ( )