Well researched with a bibliography, suggestions for further reading and related web sites, this book on the Pony Express is ideal for not just pleasure reading but for also doing the initial work for a school report. For families who might be vacationing along the route of the Pony Express, here's an excellent resource for heightening your child's interest in the journey.

— Bob Walch, BookLoons Reviews

Spradlin narrates the story as a timeline, following the riders through the geography of the route during the eleven day trip. Layne Johnson's riders, gallop, from left to right across two page spreads. The action often moves towards the reader as if it would burst out of the book. Stampeding buffalo thunder straight on. Johnson's landscape and charging horses bring the artwork of Charles Russell, Frederic Remington and John Ford movie westerns to mind.

— BookMoot

A good introduction for budding fans of the Old West. Stimulating.

— Booklist

The romance of the Pony Express is part of the history of the West, but the reality is much more difficult to track down. According to author Spradlin, little is known about the riders outside of the first landmark ride that began on April 3, 1860. On that date Johnny Fry left St. Joseph, Missouri, for Sacramento, California, with a pouch of eighty-five pieces of mail. Eleven days later Billy Hamilton was greeted in the streets of Sacramento by cheering crowds who heard about the riders and gathered to witness history. This picture book follows the route of the riders day by day as they move Westward, giving readers a sense of what life would have been like for the young men who rode the ponies for the seven months that the Express was in business. More than anything else it is that one statistic that should be remembered; the Pony Express began in April, 1860, and completed its last business on November 21, 1861. This book is well organized and well researched, providing historical details and dispelling romantic suppositions. In addition to an insightful "Author's Note," there is a listing of other resources that can be used for further research. This is a terrific resource for both elementary and middle school libraries.

— Janis Flint-Ferguson, Children's Literature

Author Michael Spradlin highlights a short-lived but legendary piece of American history in his exciting and beautifully illustrated (with paintings by Layne Johnson), Off Like the Wind. With a brief opening explanation of how the Pony Express came to be (through the planning of three businessmen), Off Like the Wind then unfolds in play-by-play fashion as Spradlin follows the first riders cross county on their unprecedented journey. As he explains in a final note, whenever possible he used real names and dates/locations and real heroes soon emerge. Spradlin also used more general aspects of the riders' cumulative history to show encounters with a buffalo stampede, American Indians, wolves and inclement weather. There is no gratuitous violence here however, the final note explains that documented incidents between the riders and wildlife did occur and the Pah Ute raid against the Williams Station, a stopping point for the Express riders, did happen on May 7, 1860. So as dynamic as the story is presented, it is also historically accurate which gives it that much more power. The Pony Express is a perennially popular subject and Spradlin balances excitement and truth perfectly. Johnson's dark, dynamic paintings are a great complement, giving this story the level of significance it so richly deserves. Legends are all well and good but when the facts are this exceptional, we do well to place them in such capable hands and let them speak for themselves.

— Eclectica Magazine

In an age where e-mail can be delivered in a click of a button, it's important for children to learn the history of the postal system in the U.S., beginning with the Pony Express. The book outlines the 11-day journey of the mail between Missouri and Sacramento, highlighting the many challenges, hardships and adventures the riders faced while making the crossing. Told in a clear, easy-to-read narrative, the educational story would make a great addition to any classroom.

— Inland Empire Famiy Magazine

In this rousing, as-historically-accurate-as-possible recreation of the Pony Express’s first ride, Spradlin introduces readers to the crazy-wild brainchild of three businessmen to expedite mail over the near-2,000 miles from St. Joseph, Mo., to Sacramento, Calif. Accompanied by Johnson’s artwork, which has the energy of rolling thunder and the colors of a sunset, and with an engaging sense of drama and urgency, the author follows the riders over the varied landscapes they covered, through the heavy weather they encountered and past the occasional hostile reception they received from Native Americans (though his bell-clear author’s note clarifies that hostilities were rare). When he can introduce factual material—the names of riders, the number and character of station stops, the price of $5 for ½ ounce—he does so with a light hand to keep the pedagogy at a distance. For all its iconic status, the Pony Express lasted for only a year and a half before the transcontinental telegraph drew a sleeve across its windpipe, but it was an inventive enterprise full of bodacious frontier spirit, which this book plays to the hilt.

— Kirkus Reviews

This colorful and accessible picture book recounts the day-to-day adventures of Pony Express riders on the first transcontinental mail delivery system, from St. Joseph, MO, to Sacramento, CA. The book opens with a map of the overland route, a time line of major events in the Express’s short-lived history (1860-1861), and a quote from Mark Twain’s Roughing It. On the unprecedented journey, which took roughly 11 days, riders faced extremes in weather, buffalo stampedes, wolves, and encounters with Native tribes. The straightforward text in combination with the larger-than-life panoramic oil spreads capture the romance, excitement, and danger that riders experienced along the trail. An author’s note explains that truth and legend are often intertwined when researching the Pony Express due to the destruction of records upon the cessation of service. Balancing the right amount of information with lively narrative, this book could easily be used in a history unit or as a general interest title.

— School Library Journal

Spradlin describes, day by day, the first eleven year run of the Pony Express, starting on April 3, 1860. The enterprise required planning, stamina, bravery and multiple skills, all of which, the detailed oil illustrations show in darkish hues. After a brief introduction, the text uses present tense to describe the daily challenges of the riders.

— The Horn Book Guide