Title: A Boy Called Slow
Author: Joseph Bruchac
Illustrator: Rocco Baviera
Publisher: PaperStar, 1994
Number of pages: 29
Tags: Culture, Family, Historical Fiction, Picture Book, Grace Sheley
Genre: Historical Fiction
This is the story of Sitting Bull as a child and the process of earning the name he came to be known by. The story describes the Lakota tradition of giving young children a temporary name before earning their adult name, and Returns Again’s son was given the name “Slow” for his patient demeanor. When Slow is fourteen, he participates in a raid on the tribe’s enemies, and initiates the attack – earning him the name Sitting Bull.
This text seems to function as more of a window than a door or mirror, it is a brief glimpse of Native American culture that can be educational for children. What Slow demonstrates for young children is patience and determination – he does not give in to negative connotations of his childhood name and wishes to fulfill his father’s legacy, not only for his father’s sake but for his own. The narration provides a relatable approach to a childhood that many children would not experience – the protagonist is portrayed as strong and uncompromising, but also sensitive and considerate.
The illustrations are framed, so the narrative reads more like a story that one is observing from afar rather than being in on the action. Many of the illustrations use a darker color palette, lots of dark blues and browns; however, they are juxtaposed by vibrant, warm colors on other pages. A picture book code that is evident is the positioning of Slow at the very top left of an illustration in a strong pose with one arm raised. The text on this page confirms the confidence the protagonist is conveying through the illustration: he is established as the strongest of the boys in his tribe. On pages showing movement, the illustrator takes more liberty with brushstrokes – such as the herd of buffalo running in the middle of the story. The fast strokes convey movement and even seem to provide the noise of the herd’s hooves running.
