Gold! Gold from the American River! (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Gold! Gold from the American River! Elizabeth Bush Brown, Don . Gold! Gold from the American River!; written and illus. by Don Brown . Flash Point/Roaring Brook, 2011. [64p]. (Actual Times) ISBN 978-1-59643-223-9 $17.99 Reviewed from galleys Ad Gr. 3-5. The third installment in Brown’s Actual Times series of pivotal events in U.S. history focuses on the California Gold Rush of 1849. This is a compact overview, following James Marshall’s discovery of gold in a ditch near his employer John Sutter’s sawmill; through the mania that drew thousands of prospectors to the West; and finally to the lasting success of entrepreneurs who supplied the miners and shaped the longterm commercial prosperity of the region. The overview is rather too compact at times, skipping from bit to bit and leaving linkages and details undocumented: for instance, Brown never fully explains how businessman Sam Brannan, who leaked the news of the gold strike, came by his information; nor does he give much more than cursory attention to the travails of gold seekers who found their way to California by sea route or across the Isthmus of Panama. The harmony of narration, wry watercolor pictures, and quotes from the miners themselves nonetheless makes this an engaging introduction for children who are just beginning to explore historical accounts beyond their social studies textbooks. Kids who’ve enjoyed Brown’s picture-book biographies will be happy to step up to the Actual Times readalones. A bibliography and brief note on research is included. [End Page 272] Copyright © 2011 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois