The Crossing

Donna Jo Napoli reimagines the Lewis and Clark expedition through the eyes of Jean Baptiste Charbonneau — Sacagawea's infant son, riding in a cradleboard — which is a genuinely fresh angle on a well-worn journey. Jim Madsen's jewel-toned digital illustrations carry a lot of weight here, and the free-verse text is short enough to make this work beautifully as a classroom read-aloud. The honest caveat: critics from American Indians in Children's Literature have flagged inaccuracies, including the use of "cradle pack" instead of the correct "cradleboard," and argue the book ultimately recenters the colonial exploration story despite its intentions. Worth reading with that context in hand, especially for Lewis and Clark units. A lyrical, visually rich choice for ages 5–10 with eyes open to its limitations.