This past weekend at a homeschool conference I met children's author, Maja Ledgerwood. Pocahontas: Princess of Faith & Courage is her first book, and it is absolutely lovely!The story of the legendary princess is simply told, but it is very well researched. Did you know Pocahontas liked to turn cartwheels? Maja tells me that is documented in letters of the time. Apparently the Europeans had never seen such a thing before. Fascinating! I especially appreciated how Pocahontas' conversion to Christianity was woven into the story.
The gorgeous watercolors which illustrate the book were done by Tyson Ledgerwood who is Maja's brother-in-law. Each page includes symbols from Native American or Christian culture. There are notes in the back of the book explaining the significance of the symbolism.
"Young readers will love this introduction to Pocahontas! Aided by colorful and life-like illustrations, readers will discover the true story of Pocahontas, including her conversion to Christianity. The illustrator applies his unique style with thirty-six original watercolor paintings, including Native American and Christian symbols to complement the author's narrative. Not only is this book fun and informative, it is designed to be used as an educational tool by teachers and parents alike. Offering a quiz, discussion questions and an informative note from the illustrator, this book was created to enhance young readers' interest in history and inspire young minds."
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Say, which homeschool conference were you at? I reviewed this book for The Old Schoolhouse magazine, and was equally impressed. Maja and I struck up a friendship, and she and I discovered we'll both be at the WHO (WA state) in June. Small world, indeed. . .
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