Jose's Buffalo Hunt: A Story from History

Marc Simmons
Ronald Kil , Illustrator

Based on actual events, Jos�'s Buffalo Hunt is the true story of an eleven-year-old boy and his first participation in the annual buffalo hunt on the Llano Estacado in 1866.

Jos? Arrellanes lived with his parents and his older brother Pablo in the hamlet of San Miguel, on the Pecos River in northern New Mexico. Like their neighbors, the family farmed, raising corn, beans, chile, and onions. Each fall they traveled to the Texas Panhandle to bring down the buffalo, or c?bolas, and carry the meat back to their village so everyone would have plenty to eat during the long, cold winter.

This beautifully illustrated book brings to life a world where people travel by ox cart and where wolves trot beside them across the empty plains. The ciboleros dress in buckskins and are on friendly terms with the Comanches. A classic tale of a boy's initiation to manhood, this story has been an oral tradition in the Arrellanes family for almost a century and a half.

Ages 6-12 years; reading level grade 4

The Children of the West Series was awarded the Dorothy Woodward Book Award for Education in 2005 by the Historical Society of New Mexico.

"If history texts could only capture the imagination of fourth graders the way this book does."--Farmington (NM) Daily Times

"...[a] well-written and highly interesting children's history."--Hispanic Journal

"A talented writer-historian and artist have teamed again to create another beautiful and entertaining tale for kids."--Las Cruces Sun-News

"Beautifully reproduced watercolor and pen-and-ink scenes of wildlife, landscapes, and action events bring the story to life. The collaboration between Simmons and Kil works wonderfully and hopefully will not be the last."--La Herencia del Norte, Santa Fe

"Simmons has crafted a fine adventure tale, with excitement and drama, celebration and tragedy. . . Simmon's move into the children's book market continues to be a welcome development."--Southwest BookViews

"This beautiful book will appeal to readers of all ages. The story of adventure and bravery is inspriring and the artwork is simply brilliant."--Wagon Tracks

Marc Simmons is considered New Mexico's historian laureate and has published over forty books on New Mexico history. Simmons is a former Woodrow Wilson Fellow, a recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, and in 1993 the King of Spain granted him membership in the knightly Order of Isabela la Católica for his contributions to Spanish colonial history. He resides in Cerrillos, New Mexico.

Western artist and long-time working cowboy Ronald Kil lives near Santa Fe.

Children of the West series

8.5 x 10.5 64 pages 21 color illustrations, 30 pen-and-ink drawings