The deficit of Granny and little Critter getting separated from their family surprisingly brought them a big reward. After Granny and Little Critter were thrown off of the horse, they had to find their way back to the rest of the clan. In the process they found a robber and were rewarded one-hundred dollars that allowed them to build a wonderful settlement in the wonderful wild wild west.
Once again Holt puts a big theme of the story of the relationship between Granny and Little Critter. They encounter all of the trials of their journey together while motivating and helping each other along the way. I also enjoyed the way the illustrator put important words in different shapes. For example, when Holt talked about Granny's stockings, HuLiska-Beith, the illustrator, spelled out the words in many pairs of stockings. It really brought life and adventure to the story. I also felt warm and fuzzy inside when the Clearwater family was reunited at the end. It showed that their is hope in desperate situations. Even after being separated from the clan Granny and Little Critter's hard work and perseverance to finding their family paid off. They were rewarded with money and built a wonderful settlement to enjoy in song and dance for the wonderful Clearwater family. ( )

Family was a constant theme throughout this story. The first thing that stands out in this book is the illustrations. The book almost felt like a scrapbook with varying textures, different text sizes and fonts all over the page, and colorful layering to create scenery or characters. Another fun characteristic of the book was the integration of historical facts of the time. The book dealt with Westward Migration, panning for gold in California, and old wagons for travel. All of these historical aspects were brought into the book in a humorous way that would get children interested in history. Another enjoyable feature was the “Author’s Notes.” These notes were filled with explanations of sayings from the 19th century, information about the Gold Rush, and The Pony Express. The information serves as a supplement to the text and would help children enjoy history even more. Overall, I enjoyed this book and wish that it would have been read to me while I was learning about Westward Migration. ( )

The story is too long for a picture book. Kimberly should stick to novels. That's what she does best. ( )

A whimsical tall tale, this book follows Granny and Little Critter after they accidentally fall from the family wagonas they are heading west. They decide to find their family and have crazy adventures along the way. Illustrations are unusual. ( )