Crazy Horse is among the best known Native American heroes. Yet many people do not know that his boyhood name was Curly, inspired by his curly hair. Curly was a leader even as a young boy, but his bravery could not prepare him for the trouble he and the other Lakota faced from the white settlers. After a fierce battle that mortally wounded Chief Conquering Bear, Curly felt called to help his people. So he defied traditional custom and ran away to seek a vision. Three days went by. Finally, as an exhausted Curly collapsed on the ground, the vision came?a rider suspended above the ground and voices coming from nowhere. It took three years for Curly to understand his vision, and this long journey gave him the strength and leadership to guide his people. Because of this powerful vision, Curly's father renamed him Crazy Horse.

A young girl spends the summer at her grandmother’s home in Standing Rock Reservation in this heartwarming family story from acclaimed author-artist S. D. Nelson Now that Clara is almost in third grade, she’s finally old enough to spend her first summer away from home visiting her grandma, Unci, and her cousin at their home in Standing Rock Reservation. To welcome her visit, Uncle Louie brings an extra-special surprise in his pickup truck: the tipi that’s been passed down through their family for generations. The girls learn how to stack the poles and wrap the canvas covering around them, how to paint spirit pictures on its walls, and how the circle of the tipi tells its own story, reminding us to how to live in the great Circle of Life. Over long days spent playing outside, doing beadwork together, telling stories, singing songs, and sleeping under the stars, the tipi brings the family closer together. As summer draws to an end, goodbye comes all too soon, but Clara will always cling to the memories of summer days and starry nights . . . and Grandma’s tipi.

Pickup trucks and eagles, yellow school buses and painted horses, Mother Earth and Sister Meadowlark all join together to greet the dawn. They marvel at the colours and sounds, smells and memories that dawn creates. Animals and humans alike turn their faces upwards and gaze as the sun makes its daily journey from horizon to horizon. Dawn is a time to celebrate with a smiling heart, to start a new day in the right way, excited for what might come. Birds sing and dance, children rush to learn, dewdrops glisten from leaves, and gradually the sun warms us. Each time the sun starts a new circle, we can start again as well. All these things are part of the Lakota way, a means of living in balance. S. D. Nelson offers young readers wonder and happiness as a better way of appreciating their culture and surroundings. He draws inspiration from traditional stories to create Greet the Dawn. His artwork fuses elements of modern with traditional. Above all, he urges each of us to seize the opportunity that dawn offers each day.

Told from a Native American point of view, Black Elk's Vision provides a unique perspective on American history. From recounting the visions Black Elk had as a young boy, to his involvement in the battles of Little Big Horn and Wounded Knee, as well as his journeys to New York City and Europe with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, this biographical account of Black Elk-an Oglala Lakota medicine man who lived from 1863 to 1950-follows him from childhood through adulthood.

This biographical account of Sitting Bull, the legendary Lakota/Sioux chief, follows him from childhood to adulthood. He killed his first buffalo at age 10; at age 14, he earned his first eagle feather after counting coup (winning prestige through acts of bravery) on an enemy. In honor of his accomplishment, his father gave him the name Sitting Bull, a name that represents his resolve and ability to stand his ground. Sitting Bull grew as a leader and warrior, finally coming to be named war chief, leader of the entire Sioux nation (a title never bestowed on anyone before). He led his people in many battles against the Wasichus (or white man) including the Battles of Killdeer Mountain and the Little Bighorn and became one of the most important figures in Lakota and American history. He and Crazy Horse were the last Lakota/Sioux to surrender their people to the US government and resort to living on a reservation. He was killed by his own people who were Indian Agency police on the reservation. Includes note about the Lakota and ledger art, a timeline, bibliography, and index.

Told from the Native American point of view, "Black Elk's Vision" provides a unique perspective on American history. From recounting the visions Black Elk had as a young boy, to his involvement in the battles of Little Big Horn and Wounded Knee, as well as his journeys to New York City and Europe with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, this biographical account of Black Elk--an Oglala-Lakota medicine man (1863-1950)--follows him from childhood through adulthood. S. D. Nelson tells the story of Black Elk through the medicine man's voice, bringing to life what it was like to be Native American in the mid-to-late nineteenth century and early twentieth century. The Native people found their land overrun by the Wha-shi-choos, or White Man, the buffalo slaughtered for sport and to purposely eliminate their main food source, and their people gathered onto reservations. Through it all, Black Elk clung to his childhood visions that planted the seeds to help his people--and all people--understand their place in the circle of life. The book includes archival images, a timeline, a bibliography, an index, and Nelson's signature art.
Praise for the work of S. D. Nelson
Western Writers of America Spur Storyteller Award
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award
STAR] "An appealing story full of excitement, warmth, and wisdom." --"The Five Owls," starred review
"A fine choice for story hours, this will also find wide curricular use." --"Booklist"
"A modern-day story in the Sioux tradition of storytelling." --"Winston-Salem Journal"
"Splendid acrylic artwork captures the action, humor, and spirit of the tale. A solid addition to collections of Native American tales and an enjoyable read-aloud." --"School Library Journal"
"Nelson pulls it off with his confident style as a storyteller . . . polished illustrations . . . informative, well written." --"Kirkus Reviews"

F&P level: U
F&P genre: B

A prowling wildcat finds a surprise in an old dried-up buffalo skull. A group of mice are dancing the night away and not paying attention to the dagers around them. Does the wildcat spell doom for the mice, or will they escape to safety? Dance in a Buffalo Skull is an American Indain tale of danger and survival on the Great Plains.