The rains have stopped, the land is dying, and all those who live upon it are dying too. The Great Spirits have spoken. Only a sacrifice of the most valued possession will save the land and the people who live upon it known as the Comanche. She Who is Alone has already lost her family to this drought. Her doll is all that she has left yet she sacrifices it to save her people. Touched by her offering the Great Spirits return the rains and everywhere the dolls ashes touch a beautiful flower known as a bluebonnet will grow.
The painted illustrations of DePaola do not merely illustrate the story he is telling but also the Comanche way of life. The blankets that are wrapped around the people and the tepees that house them show the intricate designs that would have been found in an early Comanche settlement. DdePaola's attention to detail in his illustrations is also evident in the doll that She Who is Alone carries- the markings on its clothing to the feathers in its hair. This attention to detail makes The legend of the bluebonnet an ideal companion to native American and Texas studies.
