Henrietta King

K-Gr 2—The fabled King Ranch in Texas is larger than the state of Rhode Island. Wade introduces its matriarch in this picture-book biography that examines the life of this daughter of a minister who married a boat captain and rancher. Her life changed dramatically as she endured rough living conditions, raised five children, and helped to build one of the largest and most successful cattle ranches in history. As a frontier woman, King educated the children of her ranch hands, established towns and churches, helped to develop a special breed of cattle, and promoted the growth of South Texas. The long life (1832–1925) of this complex woman is woefully simplified in this very brief account. The language is unnecessarily stilted and does little to bring her character to life. This stiff-sounding text is also ill matched to the lovely, romanticized oil paintings. Unfortunately, the websites listed are limited in scope and, surprisingly, do not include the ranch's official website. There are no photographs of the subject or the ranch. While King is mentioned in a number of other sources, there is limited material dedicated solely to her life. Judy Alter's biography, Henrietta King: Rancher and Philanthropist (State House Press, 2005), offers a more complete story for an older audience.—Carole Phillips, Greenacres Elementary School, Scarsdale, NY