The Little White Buffalo
Get to know Hŏpi, the little white buffalo, and his big brother, Ta-Tonka, in this endearing story for children ages 2 - 9. While seeking to make friends with a mountain goat, Hŏpi is separated from Ta-Tonka and faces danger. Hopi's adventure will help children absorb important lessons about the love between siblings and the importance of staying with the herd.
Terri Einer’s artwork captures Hŏpi’s playfulness and brings the book to life with her adorable illustrations of the North American prairies.
The names of the lead characters, Hŏpi and Ta-Tonka, are derived from the author’s background and experiences. Little Hŏpi is named after the city of Hopkins, Minnesota, where the author lives. The author has chosen to honor her husband's Native American heritage with the name of Hŏpi's big brother, Ta-Tonka. Ta-Tonka was chosen for this character's name because it is similar to Tatanka, a Lakota word meaning "Big Beast.”
At the end of the book there is an educational page about buffalo (bison) and Lakota Indians. WhiteBuffaloKids.com supports the book with educational information targeted to children about animals on the North American Prairie. Animals that live on the prairie have learned to live in tall grasses and without trees.
The book is available for purchase on Amazon.com. Choose from the print or Kindle editions.
Author: Susan "Nana" Metoxen
Illustrator: Terri Einer
Editor: Tamara Uribe
Susan Metoxen
Author
Susan Metoxen has a passion for children and education. As the wife of a member of the Saint Croix Band of Chippewa, she is interested in Native American culture. Her last name (Metoxen, from her husband) is an Oneida name that has been Americanized from an earlier spelling of Mtoksin. She lives in Hopkins, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis and visits Custer State Park in South Dakota at least twice every year. Susan Metoxen is Nana to four beautiful grandchildren that live in the Fort Collins, Colorado area.
Susan is a software developer and the owner of White Buffalo LLC. White Buffalo LLC develops websites for clients and produces content for its own websites. She has a passion for education and is a part-time instructor at Saint Paul College, one of the Minnesota State Colleges. In addition, she was a founder for the Minneapolis and Phoenix chapters of Girl Develop It.
In addition to her more recent work as a developer, Susan has thirty years of experience in health care administration, including Medicaid managed care, provider relations, and hospital accounts receivable. She has an M.B.A. from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, and a B.A. from Calvin College in Grand Rapids Michigan.
Terri Einer
Illustrator
Terri Einer is an acrylic artist known for her whimsical characters that pop with personality and her bold use of color.
Born with a natural artistic talent, Terri has been creating most of her life. She has been spreading her joyous works to clients throughout the United States. "I love bringing the author’s words to life and to see the published results.”
Terri’s previous published works include:
“Sophia Wannabee”, “Wish Me a Rainbow”, “Little Mona Meets a Pup”, “Love On Someone Different than You”, “The World is Mine” and “What Do You Do?”
Terri Einer creates under the business name, Einer Arts in her studio in Oshkosh, WI and can be contacted at einerarts@gmail.com
She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators.