Since 1926, Pelican Publishing Company has been committed to publishing books of quality and permanence that enrich the lives of those who read them.
Vaqueros were cowboys who roamed across the plains of South America for many years before American cowboys began to appear. A chihuahua named Chi Chi helps tell the story of these proud men, who herded cattle first brought by the explorers in the 1500s. This cute little chihuahua is along for the entire story, from the time the cattle strayed away from their owners to the time the rich Charros claimed them as their own and hired Indians to herd them. Hardcover.
This beautifully illustrated board book tells the whimsical story of how a little leprechaun protects the secret of his pot o’ gold. Saving the best for last, literally, the book houses a plush leprechaun toy that may be removed after turning the final page. Boardbook.
Most people have heard of the famous siege at the Alamo, and have heard stories of the lives lost there. This informative historical novel for middle readers puts a human face on this battle. Paperback.
The history of the state of Virginia is like a history of the United States. Virginia’s history is richly dispersed with names of outstanding men and women who, as Virginians and as Americans, made significant contributions to our society that continue to lead, inspire, and entertain us today. Hardcover.
Adorned with vintage photographs, this history and activity book describes the heritage and culture of the Buffalo People, the nomadic Native Americans who roamed the Great Plains. The text provides a realistic understanding of their traditions, spirituality, and domestic life, while several puzzles and craft projects help youngsters experience that vanished culture. Includes a lexicon of Plains Indian words and examples of their sign language. Paperback.
The Battle of Gettysburg left more than 57,000 soldiers dead, wounded, or missing. In this emotionally charged collection of personal accounts, the author pieces together experiences of Yankee, Rebel, soldier, and civilian. The battle is told solely through their eyes in a series of chronologically dated entries.
Japan’s surprise attack on December 7, 1941, devastated the American Naval Fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and forced America into World War II. These moving accounts of the lives affected by the assault capture the scope of the day’s emotions and its influence on generations.
The story of the Alamo encompasses far more than a thirteen-day siege that ended in a battle on March 6, 1836. In Voices of the Alamo, that story begins in the 1500s with the Native Americans who inhabited the area we now call Texas. Page by page, different voices—among them Spanish, Tejano, Texian, Mexican, and American—are heard, as they describe history from their individual viewpoints. Hardcover.
The 1930s Dust Bowl was the greatest ecological tragedy in the United States. Through a combination of drought and fierce winds, America’s Great Plains were left bare. In a series of sixteen narrative profiles, the author brings to life the voices of this time period. The characters who symbolize common residents of the “Great American Desert,” include a teacher protecting her class from a black roller, a nurse treating patients with dust pneumonia, and a nine-year-old girl who has never seen rain.
Focusing on the bold and courageous explorers and determined settlers who extended the frontier to the western coastline, author Sherry Garland narrates in the voices of figures from history. She personalizes the adventures of Sacagawea, Jedediah Smith, George Catlin, and Annie Oakley. Talented artist Julie Dupré Buckner carefully researched the historical details for her evocative illustrations. Together, the narrative and the art tell the tale of ancestors who created the foundation of the American nation.
Fourteen-year-old Nick Finazzo lives in a tiny house in Detroit’s lower east side, where he sleeps wedged between one restless brother and another thumb-sucking one. When he is hired as a junior camp counselor at Wa-Tonka, a horseback-riding camp, he jumps at the chance to have his own bunk, ride horses, and make new friends. Once there, Nick encounters even more new experiences than he expected.
In The Warlord’s Alarm, Chuan and Jing Jing are worried they won’t be able to wake the warlord before the sun rises. They are traveling to the emperor’s palace, and they can only sleep four hours before resuming their journey in order to arrive as the emperor’s gates open. There are no clocks at the inn where they are staying, so they must create their own alarm clock. Displaying the ingenuity shown in the previous six Warlord’s Series books, Chuan and Jing Jing turn their water bag into an alarm clock and awaken in time to rouse the warlord.
Often used by teachers of the primary grades to illustrate the powerful concept of “base ten,” various types of counting frames appeared in China during the Middle Ages. The Warlord’s Beads is a valuable tool for introducing young readers to the wonder of numbers as well as the beauty and mystery of ancient China. Hardcover.
Clever Chuan makes his third appearance, this time as an artist’s apprentice for the warlord, in this story about the compass. When some strangers feel they have been cheated in the market, Chuan serves as interpreter in the dispute, and for his trouble, both he and the artist are kidnapped and, together with the strangers, are taken through the desert. Hardcover.
All is calm in the warlord’s palace, and the artist’s apprentice Chuan takes a break from papermaking to sit with his friend Jing Jing, watching the sunset. Suddenly, a cloud of dust rises on the horizon. It is an invading army. The palace gates are closed, but how will they keep the invaders at bay? Children learn about creativity, folklore, and calculating area in a math lesson that’s as fun as it is fascinating. Directions for making a kite follow the story. Hardcover.
In The Warlord’s Messengers, the warlord’s presence is requested at the emperor’s banquet in just two weeks, but he is sixteen days away by horseback. Faced with a situation that threatens the warlord’s honor, Chuan and his friend Jing Jing must reach him in time to deliver the invitation and assure his punctuality. Using their math knowledge, ingenuity, and the wind, the children devise a sailing cart and reach the warlord’s camp two days ahead of the emperor’s messenger, just in time to deliver the invitation and save the warlord from dishonor.
Clever young Chuan and his artist mentor are back in this fourth book of the Warlord’s series. This time, the two are journeying across the desert to find their master, the warlord, when they meet up with a group of traveling puppeteers. When bandits attack and steal their trunk of puppets, Chuan knows that he must step in to help his new friends in order to finish the journey. Hardcover.
In China, a beautiful ceramic tile lies shattered on the ground, and the artist who dropped it is sentenced to the land’s worst punishment. The fierce warlord will execute the artist unless some wise person can put the seven pieces back together. That person will then be invited to live in the castle. Both locals and strangers from far away wait their turns for a chance to solve the warlord’s puzzle. Hardcover.