Ride, Gabe, Ride

Ride, Gabe, Ride narrates the thrill and danger of a buffalo hunt, one being led by the legendary Métis leader, Gabriel Dumont. The reader will experience this key feature of Métis life in the 1800s through the rhyming verses accompanied by vivid full-page illustrations. What adds more excitement is that this story was based on Dumont’s own account of a particular hunt when an injured bull sprang up and Gabe had to ride it, bucking and bolting.

Through his love of storytelling, author Wilfred Burton shares his personal knowledge of the Métis culture with his audience. His rich text, together with illustrator Lucille Scott’s colourful illustrations, provides the reader with a realistic portrayal of the purpose and events of a buffalo hunt as well as the different roles of the people involved in the hunt as well as their respect for all living things. On four pages distributed throughout the book, an italicized stanza follows the text, and this “chorus” could lend itself to a class performance of the story.

To assist readers in becoming familiar with the Métis culture, Michif words are included in the text with a glossary at the end of the book. Also on each page of text, small illustrations, such as chokecherries, sashes, a fiddle and a Red River cart, highlight significant features of this time. The “Historical Note” at the beginning of Ride, Gabe, Ride provides some fascinating facts about Gabriel Dumont; buffalo hunter, leader, resistance fighter, farmer and even a performer with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. Ride, Gabe, Ride provides a good introduction into further research on an important part of Canadian history.