Book Review: Yellowstone Moran

Book Review #2 - Yellowstone Moran: Painting the American West
Author: Lita Judge
Publisher: Viking

“Tom Moran had dreams as big as the Montana sky.” This is the first line of the book Yellowstone Moran: Painting the American West by Lita Judge. Written in picture book format it tells a brief story of artist Thomas “Yellowstone” Moran and his dream to paint landscapes of places most people have never seen. Tom already drew illustrations of the west for a magazine story but he wanted to see it himself with Dr. Hayden and a group of scientists in their 1871 expedition.

For a city boy life out west on the expedition wasn’t easy. As he adjusted to life in the wilderness he was teased by the other men. He was able to find a friend in the team’s photographer, Will Jackson. When they discovered what is now Yellowstone on July 21^st they described seeing “blinding white terraces that looked like giant frozen steps of ice leading up the mountainside. These steps held cauldrons of boiling water from underground hot springs. Steam heavy with the rotten-egg stink of sulfur filled Tom’s lungs.” Their friendship proved strong when the rest of the team moved on leaving Tom and Will to make their way to the canyon floor to explore the base. The climbed, and slid down, the side carrying their painting and photography gear.

The story details and corresponding illustrations made me recall my two visits to Yellowstone. Maybe I stood where Tom and the explorers once did. I know that beauty found there is like no other and I can’t forget the sulfur smell.

The Author’s Note at the end of the book gives information into some of the things the author discovered while working on this book. I found it interesting that Dr. Hayden encouraged his men to write journals to record their experiences. They proved helpful in the author’s research and she mentions where you can find some of Tom Moran’s paintings and sketches. I love how the author designed her illustrations to look like Tom’s.

I recommend this book for elementary age students and families that might be traveling to Yellowstone. I am always intrigued by the “little known” stories in history.

I am obviously not Will Jackson.