Conquista!
Clyde Robert Bulla and Michael Syson, il. Ronald Himler
1978, Thomas Y. Crowell
In South America,
Pizarro plundered the Incas and sent their gold to Spain. Other Spaniards traveled far into North
America in search of treasure. One was Coronado. Much is known of his expedition, but there is
much that can never be known. What
follows is not a historical account. It
tells what might have happened.
A very short (35-page) and simple book revolving around the
early days of the horse in North America.
In this imagining, a lost horse from Coronado’s 1540 expedition comes
across a Native American boy who’s alone on the plains, waiting for a vision
that will reveal his true name. When boy
meets horse, he’s astonished, terrified – and quickly obsessed with riding
him.
The desert was flying
past him – the earth, the rocks, the growing things. Once this land had made him feel small, but
no longer.
Bulla wrote a lot of books, and many were horsey. I’ve come across many and remember a few from
childhood. They’re quick, smart, and
capably written, but only one is truly memorable. Dexter,
a haunting story of a pony left to die when a troubled family skips town
suddenly, has the depth and complexity that most of Bulla’s work lacks. Since most of his books are written for
younger children, this is not exactly a scathing criticism, I admit, but I
think some of his books seem to have been churned out rather perfunctorily.
Background
The book was inspired by a 1971 short film by Michael Syson,
which is apparently one of those films that both lingered in viewer’s memories
and was thereafter extremely difficult to track down. Reportedly a British production, it was shot
in Spain in 1970 and shown in different versions and lengths in various countries
at various times.
Author
1914-2007
Bulla was born in Missouri and seems to have be determined
to be a writer from an early age. He
persisted until finally establishing himself with children’s books, and moved
to Los Angeles in the 1940s. An extremely
prolific writer, he produced about a book a year throughout his life.
Other books (equine)
Riding The Pony
Express
Star Of Wild Horse
Canyon
A Ranch For Danny
Three Dollar Mule
The Wild Arabian
Dexter
The Donkey Cart
Surprise For A Cowboy
Old Charlie
Illustrator
Born and raised in Ohio, Himler has illustrated many
children’s books.
Other horse books
The Best Horse Ever
by Alice DeLaCroix (picture book)
Someday Rider by
Ann Herbert Scott (picture book)
A Grass Green Gallop
by Patricia Hubbell (poetry collection for children)
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