This was a very cool story and an important addition to my school library! I think it will capture and hold my students' attention with the descriptive illustrations and storyline.

This was a great story of York, an enslaved man who journeyed with Lewis and Clark on their westward expedition. The story hops around through a few major events of the expedition while focusing on how York remained enslaved throughout the expedition and upon the return. It focuses on how although York contributed more than most other men and was one of the key men to gain the Native American's trust, he was still given no attention, recognition, or payment. This is a fantastic addition to our westward expansion unit to start focusing on marginalized voices.

Important addition to any American history curriculum since so many people's contributions have been ignored or forgotten.

This is a story of widely known two explorers, Lewis and Clark but told from a different viewpoint. In this story we follow Lewis and Clark on their journey through the USA but we hear the story from York, Clark's slave who was forced to leave his family behind to go on the journey. I strongly encourage all educators to put this book in your classroom library or library! Students can learn so much from this book including viewpoint, little known facts about the journey, and will empathize with York as they get a closer look at what it was like to be a slave.

I love history, I love children's books and I love putting them together. I loved this book. It is about an unknown personal slave of William Clark, of Lewis and Clark fame. York accompanied Clark on his famous expedition with Meriwether Lewis, across the continent, to the Pacific Ocean. Being a slave, York had no choice in the matter. Everyone knows about his journey, but shouldn't we also know about York, this is his story. We learn that the Native Americans had not seen a man with his skin colour and they were amazed. They respected him more than the white men and shared with the expedition in ways they might not have otherwise. We find out that he was instrumental in keeping everyone alive and safe, including Sacajawea, and her baby, as they made the journey. His brute strength assisted in portaging, carrying supplies and canoes. He was even allowed to vote on where the group would camp for the winter. While on the trip, he was given the honor of having eight islands named after him. What we also learn is that sadly, once the Corps of Discovery returned home, he received no accolades, no thanks, or no pay for this perilous journey, after all, he was just a slave. We now realize how unfair this was.

The story is told in first person, from diaries kept during the journey. As a slave, York probably did not know how to write, but he was befriended by one man in particular on the journey, Sergeant Charles Floyd, who may have kept notes and information about York. This story is beautifully illustrated and simply told. This would make a good addition to any library or classroom. It would be a wonderful resource for Black History Month, learning about slavery and the injustices of it, as well as when learning about the opening of the west. I requested a copy of this book and the publisher generously provided it to me. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.

As I’ve mentioned many times before, I love picture books like Journey of York. It is a book that tells a true story in a way that captures the attention of young children, and the realistic paintings make the historical event come to life.

This book tells the story of the Lewis and Clark expedition from the perspective of the one man who didn’t have a choice as to whether or not he went along: Clark’s slave, York. In some ways, the success of the expedition was due to this man, as the Indians were so fascinated by his dark skin. He was also very strong and worked extremely hard. After being allowed to vote with everyone else in the expedition about the location of the fort in which to spend the winter, he worked even harder, trying to show his worth. In the end, however, he was not recognized, and his name was not even included in the official roster.

This book really brings the Lewis and Clark expedition to life. The beautiful, glowing paintings are very attractive. This is a book that young children will want to study over and over again.

I received a free copy of this book and chose to write a review.

Every American school child learns about the Lewis and Clark expedition. By which I mean, we all learn that Lewis and Clark traveled to the west coast. That's it. Maybe we learn that they took "men" and Sacajawea. We certainly don't learn about York. Our history books hardly mention slaves except in context of the Civil War. So this book gives us essentially an outsider perspective. We see how York was used by Lewis and Clark in negotiations, how he was mistreated by other members of the expedition. It's a slightly darker, far more accurate, version of exploration than we are usually given. Definitely a good choice to supplement what kids are learning in school.

This is a hard one to review. I don't know where exactly it fits, not exactly historical fiction but not completely non-fiction since there is no way to verify the diary like style of the book. The subject matter is important but as a historian the creation of thoughts and ideas that are unsubstantiated bother me.

This story is told from the perspective of York, a slave who went on the Corps of Discovery with Lewis and Clark. Much of this story must be fictionalized, since it did not appear from the author's notes that there are many primary source documents about York, but it does seem like this could be a realistic portrayal of an enslaved man on this expedition. The pictures are vivid and help reinforce the wonder of seeing parts of the new United States for the very first time. This would be a good addition to our elementary school library.

Hasan Davis brings a different perspective to the story of Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery expedition. York is the slave to William Clark and is the only man on the expedition who did not volunteer for the job. Davis recounts key events of the trip, emphasizing York’s contributions to the endeavor and portrays him as intelligent, kind-hearted, and hard-working. The illustrations are a beautiful accent to the narrative. End notes include information on Clark’s continued enslavement of York and his lack of appreciation for all that he did during the journey. This book is classified as narrative non-fiction, however, there is much included about York’s thoughts, feelings and actions without any citation information included. There is a reference to a consultant, but with using a far less known main character, I believe it is critical to provide documentation for York’s participation.

History is full of forgotten people, for a variety of reasons, and Davis' story tells of York, an African-American who traveled with Lewis and Clark on their journey West. The illustrations were very nice and reminded me of old story books with traditional illustrations. One problem I had with the book is the liberty Davis took in reading York's mind. Since the only records of York, to my knowledge, are through Lewis and Clark's journals, we cannot know what he was thinking or feeling on the trip. Yes, authors take liberty all the time, but to place today's thinking into his mind was out of place and changed the tone of the story

Thank you NetGalley and Capstone for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy..

There are few stories more well known in United States history than that of the Lewis and Clark expedition from St. Louis to the farthest reaches of the continent, what would become known as Oregon/Washington. The pair of explorers took with them 23 crewmen, most were former military men with whom they had served; all but one were volunteers: York, the African slave whom Clark had inherited from his father's estate. However, aside from the Shoshone woman, Sacagawea, and her "husband" Toussaint Charbanneau, no one was more valuable to the success of the exploration than the man known as York. Yet, for nearly two centuries York's story and vital contributions have remained largely untold - until now.

To say that I am an avid devotee of the Lewis and Clark expedition is an understatement - and even that statement doesn't do justice to my obsession. While my university degree is in history (and US politics,) my area of specialty is the Jefferson/Jacksonian period primarily because I simply could not get enough information about Lewis and Clark and their westward adventure. I wanted to know what they found, the native Americans they met, how they survived the winters, about their longboats. Yes, I've even retraced the Lewis and Clark trail from beginning to end and back again. I've toured Fort Clatsop, visited burial sites, read their journals and far, far more. What always has fascinated me, however, was how much this pair relied on York, how much they wrote about him and then how quickly his importance vanished. They used his skin color to fascinate native Americans who never had seen any human with that skin color. They thought he was a "medicine man" or "magic." He opened doors for the explorers and saved their lives on more than one occasion. His brute strength enabled them to carry more boats over dry riverbeds and to build their fort before the winter cold could kill them. He even became - literally - the first African American to vote on American soil when the party had to decide which side of the Columbia river to set up their fort. It was groundbreaking. And yet, once the explorers returned back home - no mention of his bravery, heroics, saving strength or equality was mentioned again. It was during a time in American history when already a division was growing among the states over the slavery issue and giving York credit simply was not done. Shame on everyone involved and KUDOS to Hasan Davis for finally telling this hero's story!!

The book is written for young readers and is very simplistic in its telling. Think back to the history books of your childhood and this book is written similarly. I would have liked for the illustrations to have been more imaginative in order to capture the attention of graphic savvy young readers, but the story itself is well told, doesn't stray from historic fact and isn't too heavy handed when it comes to finger pointing - which it could have done. I think this is an absolute must read for all young American readers, for teachers of young students, parents, and perhaps even adults who are clueless regarding the real heroes of the expedition. I love Lewis and Clark but I know, without a doubt, where the credit for their expedition's success truly lies.

Thank you to #Netgalley, @CapstonePub and #HasanDavis for fulfilling all of my wishes for the new year by allowing me to read York's story and especially to Mr. Davis for bringing York's story to life at last!

**Received an eARC through NetGalley from Capstone.**

I love the recent proliferation of books about little-known people from history. Frequently women and/or people of color, these unsung heroes provided necessary support and skills without which our more traditionally lauded heroes would never have succeeded.

York, an enslaved man at the turn of the 19th century, was an integral part of the Lewis and Clark expedition. And yet his contributions have stayed hidden under history’s rug, even after Sacajawea and Seaman’s roles were recognized. Written as York’s first person account, this picture book tries to rectify this oversight. The story is fascinating, a brief overview that nonetheless conveys the complicated relationship that York had with his white companions. He seemed to get along better with the Native Americans the expedition met on their way, but even his role as ambassador of sorts was not recognized upon their return home.

The illustrations have an animated feel, and do a nice job at conveying York’s experience. His face generally remains neutral, but his physical placement in each scene says as much as the text about his place in the expedition. My main complaint with this book is that there are no sources specified other than experts consulted. While the author’s note in the back gives further information about York’s life, I wish there was more about research methods, especially since the story itself is presented as York’s own words.

One more minor quibble is the repeated assertion that slaves were not able to make choices. While I understand the point being made, I think even kids can appreciate that people, enslaved or not, always have choices. In York’s situation, as with all slaves, his choices were extremely limited, almost always risky, and the available options were essentially controlled by the white society around him and the white man who owned him. In the author’s note it becomes clear that York *did* make choices, which led to being severely punished and possibly to his eventual escape. It’s a complicated truth, that isn’t always easily explained, but the idea that “slaves did not have choices” just isn’t quite enough.

"In May 1804 Captain Lewis, Captain Clark, and twenty-eight men set out from St. Louis, Missouri, in three boats with the goal of reaching the Pacific Ocean. All but one of those men were volunteers. This is his story." So begins this picture book account of the Lewis & Clark Expedition from the viewpoint of York, Captain Clark's slave. The text points out that York had no choice in leaving his family and home, and also does a good job of choosing a few key milestones of the journey to frame the challenges and dangers the men faced. The reaction of the native tribes to seeing someone with skin the color of York's is mentioned, including a chief who called him "Big Medicine." A feeling of sympathy between York and Sacajawea is also described, bringing attention to the similarity between their situations as York learns that the young woman was stolen from her tribe and given in trade to the man who called her his wife.

Several pages that look like very old paper are inserted into the text to hold larger chunks of exposition. The background information included in the introduction tells of President Jefferson's desire for a detailed accounting of the new territory, while the author's note at the end shares facts about the rewards the party received on their return and York's continued enslavement. The illustrations capture the work of building shelters, poling boats, a portage around waterfalls, and the majesty of Mount Hood glimpsed for the first time by the party.

This is a very helpful look at a famous group of men, and one of the often overlooked members of the party. It draws attention to the contributions of York, and also to the way famous men in our country's history used slave labor and indigenous people for their own purposes. A good book to add to units on Westward Expansion, especially for those trying to offer a more balanced picture of what occurred from beyond the European male viewpoint.

A picture book biography of York, the slave of Captain William Clark, who was an unrecognized part of the Lewis & Clark expedition.

This is probably a part of the Lewis & Clark story that few have heard before. I certainly have never heard that Clark took his slave with him, nor the way the Native Americans reacted to York and how his mere presence helped give the explorers favor with some chiefs. The book is told as if York is narrating his story, so there are a few details imagined (as in how York felt about certain things), but the dates and events mentioned are all factual. Be sure you read the intro and the author’s note for further information on York’s life before and after the journey. If you’re looking for picture books that sing the praises of people who history has overlooked, keep your eyes out for this one. It should also make young readers more appreciative of the freedoms they have and take for granted.

I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a handsomely illustrated book about York’s Journey as a member of the Lewis and Clark expedition. It is told from the imagined perspective of York, who seems remarkably more like a person of our times than his own. Both the writing and the illustrations require carefully examination to uncover and question the perspectives provided. As part of a text set of materials, this book might stimulate considerable interest and conversation. The Illustrations, in particular, merit close examination. Since references are forthcoming, it is hard to follow up on sources. I wish that both the author and illustrator had weighed in on their use of sources.

Many know the story of Lewis and Clark, but not many know of those unnamed heroes that helped to build this nation- one of whom is named York. York was William Clark's slave, and the only one of the 28 men who undertook Thomas Jefferson's mission who did not volunteer to go. As a slave, York was forced on this expedition across the United States to explore the Pacific Northwest. On this journey, York met multiple Native American tribes, most of whom demonstrated the utmost respect for him because of his skin color. As "Big Medicine" earned respect among the Native Americans, he did among the explorers as well. Trusting his judgement and appreciating the role he played in bringing peace, York became a valued member of the group. Unfortunately, when they returned from their journey, York returned to his nameless status. 

I am in love with this book. First of all, it is so important that we honestly teach our younger generations about the history of our nation. For so many years, there is such a skewed point of view and inaccuracy of the freedom and equality our country boasts of. This is a perfect example of a true hero who was completely unrecognized. I am grateful for Davis and his storytelling ability to truly bring to life the beautiful story of York. Told in a timeline fashion, with gorgeous illustrations, this is a picture book that every man, woman, and child needs to read in order to more accurately understand American history.

This is a short (~40pps) young children's illustrated book depicting the role played by a slave named York during the May, 1804 through September, 1806 expedition of Captain Meriwether Lewis and Second Lieutenant William Clark. While the expedition is well-known, the contributions made by the Lemhi Shoshone woman known as Sacajawea (meaning 'bird woman'), and by Clark's personal slave, known as York, are less well publicized.

Sacajawea's contribution to the success of the expedition is no less valuable than York's so it's a pity she gets such short shrift in this story, especially since she did it while pregnant, giving birth, and successfully raising the infant during the trip! On the other hand, it is about York so it's understandable that he's center stage.

Very little is known about York, about what he did on the expedition, or about what became of him afterwards, and there are differing stories on this. It would appear that he was treated differently during the expedition than he was before or after it, when Clark seemed to revert to treating him exactly like a slave, whereas during the trip he was treated more like an expedition member than anything else. The fact is though, that while we know he was on the expedition and obviously contributed to the effort, and while he was rewarded by having a couple of places named after him (one of which was later renamed after someone else!) we know nothing about the day-to-day inner life of this man.

We do know that Sacajawea and York made history by being (as far as is known) the first woman and the first black man ever to vote in the USA! Again, not that Sacajawea is mentioned as voting in this story, only York. This wasn't a vote for political office, merely a vote on where to build a winter fort, but nonetheless, these two were included - again confirming that they were treated as full members of the expedition rather than anything else.

That aside though, everything in this story is necessarily conjecture. We don't know exactly what happened or exactly how relationships were, or what either York or Sacajawea felt or thought. They were never asked to contribute in that regard, so the book is really more about the trip than it is about York. It's a story that needs to be told, but I cannot support a story that seeks to raise up one people by downgrading another.

People do need to understand that African Americans, American Indians, and many other minority groups were involved in important events in USA from before the start, throughout history, and continue to be so nowadays, and this book could have been an important contribution to that. The story is simple and easy to follow, and the artwork by Alleanna Harris is excellent, but I cannot condone a book which, under the guise of seeking to set right the appalling wrongs of slavery and racism, ends up devaluing half the population - that is the female half.

I have to say that the unsupported assertion wherein York vows to protect Sacajawea in recognition of their supposedly common bond in slavery of one sort or another was disingenuous. Sacajawea was in no need to of anyone's protection. She was as tough as they come, and for York to be depicted as patronizing her by vowing to protect her (and then never even so much as mentioning it again) devalues both people and treats Sacajawea just as much as a possession as the very thing York was supposedly railing against: the fact that Sacajawea was bought by her 'husband' Charbonneau. I thought that this was disgraceful and inappropriate and for this reason I cannot commend this book.

Wow! This book was so powerful. I loved how the author gave a voice to York (William Clark's personal slave) and was able to portray his emotions and feelings about the Lewis and Clark expedition in a very believable way. Despite being a slave, York was able to form a friendship with Sergeant Charles Floyd. York also, at times, received more respect from the Native American tribes than the other Corps of Discovery members and was nicknamed "Big Medicine" by the Hidatsu people. York's skin color helped him to play a significant role on the trip. For example, Clark would take advantage of the tribes' fascination with York's skin color and would have him "perform feats of strength or dance" in order to "persuade Indians of America's might." He was even allowed to vote on where the group would camp for the winter. While on the trip, he was given the honor of having eight islands named after him. Yet, sadly, once the Corps of Discovery returned home, York was given no compensation or honors like the rest of the men and had to once again return to the life of slavery. It just seems so unfair. I received an ARC from NetGalley. However, I plan on purchasing this book for my classroom when it becomes available. I highly recommend this book to other educators and Lewis and Clark aficionados like myself.

Damn but they don't teach us anything in school. And I thought I had read everything I could about little know people of US History.

And yet, here is York, the personal slave of William Clark, of Lewis and Clark fame, who took him with him, when he and Meriwether Lewis, went on their famous journey across the continent, to the Pacific Ocean.

York had no choice in the matter. As a slave he had to do as he was told. And this is his story, in picture book form. Of how the Native Americans thought he was one of them, how they respected him more than the white men. How he was just as instrumental as all the volunteers, in keeping everyone alive and safe, including Sacajawea, and her baby, as they made the journey.

The story is told in first person, probably from diaries that the men on the journey took, as York, being a slave, would not have been taught to write.

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Beautifully illustrated, simply told story. Good addition to any library or classroom. Great way to introduce children to the injustices of the US, as well as find out early America.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.