Three hundred years ago the Blackfeet tribe wandered the northern plains in search of the buffalo they needed for meat and hides. The braves hunted on foot, which made stalking and killing the large animals very dangerous. The women and children followed, using backpacks and dogs to carry their belongings.
Young Om-kas-toe longs for the day when he can take his place as a brave. He doesn’t have to wait long for adventure, however. While serving as lookouts he and his twin sister discover a strange animal that has never before been seen by the Blackfeet tribe.
The animal is a horse; the tribe calls it an elkdog. Life in the tribe is never the same after the first elkdog is discovered and captured. For many years the story of the twins and the first elkdog is told around Blackfeet fires.
What readers say about Om-kas-toe:
“Excellent elementary-school-age adventure novel that opens up history in a very memorable way. Episodic, involving, and just a tad sensational (but that’s a good thing, here). Perfect for horse lovers and/or adventure lovers.” – Adam
“My six year old daughter loved this tale of a young native boy in the 1700s and the discovery of horses. I appreciated the historical markers throughout the book to present day landmarks/highways. I look forward to reading this book again when she is studying more in depth geography of the United States. The author is clearly a historian and does a wonderful job transporting the reader to this point in history.” – Ashley
“My kids LOVED this book! We read it as part of our Sonlight Core D home-school curriculum. It is scheduled for 2 weeks, but they finished it in less than a week. They were begging me to keep reading. Highly recommend.” – Stephanie
“A wonderful glimpse into Indian life! This is also a great survival story about a brother and sister finding food and shelter in the plains.” – Elizabeth
Grandview Publishing 