
Pedro's Pan: A Gold Rush Story
Discover the whimsical tale of friendship between one man and his gold pan, and their journey in the wake of the Gold Rush.
Pedro and his pan go on an exciting adventure together--to strike gold! They hike mountains, whack through bushes, and wade through streams as they sift through dirt and gravel in search of the hidden nuggets. But as time goes by without any success, Pan begins to worry that he is broken. Will he and Pedro ever find what they're looking for? Inspired by the true story of Felix Pedro, a prospector who launched one of the richest gold rushes in Alaska's history, Pedro's Pan offers a glimpse into American history as well as educates how gold panning works in a fun and exciting way.
"A plucky pan is a prospector's devoted companion as they venture through the Alaskan interior. But when their search turns up empty, Pan begins to wonder if he's broken in this lighthearted glimpse into gold rush history."
–New York Public Library, Best Books for Kids 2019 (Nonfiction History)
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Book details
- Author
- Matthew Lasley
- Illustrator
- Jacob Souva
- Imprint
- Alaska Northwest Books, an imprint of Turner Publishing Company
- Published
- Pages
- 32
- Formats
- Hardcover, Paperback
- Ages
- 5-7
- Subjects
- Juvenile Fiction › Social Themes › Friendship
History › United States › 20th Century
History › United States › State & Local › West (AK, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NV, UT, WY) - Topics
- Alaska history · gold panning · prospecting · friendship · historical fiction · American West
- ISBN-13
- 9781513141404 (Hardcover)9781513139135 (Paperback)
About the author
MATTHEW LASLEY is a first-grade teacher and writer whose father worked as a gold miner in Alaska and the Klondike.
Lasley has prospected in some of the same Alaska creeks once worked by Felix Pedro, spending many hours at the gold pan.
Matthew lives in Anchorage.





