(2) K-3 Illustrated by Jonathan Bean. In this hymn to contemporary cowboys, a sentence beginning with "real cowboys..." introduces each new task or scene ("Real cowboys are patient..."). Young cowpokes will appreciate the seriousness given to their passion, an apparent respect shared by Bean's dramatic illustrations. With details that verge on the abstract, each page turn comes as a visual surprise. The book ends with an existential turn.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2017

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Dan Burr. This compilation of twenty-two poems presents a clear image of cowboy life by touching on issues such as branding, the bunkhouse, stampedes, and cattle drives. The free verse, written in country vernacular, is rhythmic and filled with genuine-feeling details. Burr's digital paintings create a rugged southwestern setting of hardship, toil, and beauty. An addendum on cowboy history extends the offering.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) 4-6 Courageous Heroes of the American West series. All originally published under different titles, the updated editions of these brief biographies, written in short, easy-to-read sentences, outline the lives of adventurous individuals who helped shape the American West during the nineteenth century. Black-and-white photographs and drawings add some interest to the text-heavy pages; the lurid cover illustrations are unappealing. There are four other fall 2012 books in this series. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Courageous Heroes of the American West titles: Bill Pickett, Buffalo Bill Cody, Calamity Jane, Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett, Richard King, Sacagawea, and Sam Houston.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Scott Allred & Gregory Proch. This latest How to Get Rich book is a fictitious first-person account of an almost-sixteen-year-old cowboy in the 1870s on his first cattle drive. The text details a stampede, conflicts with farmers and greedy ranchers, and encounters with Native Americans. Illustrations, photographs of real people, journals, maps, ledgers, and other "artifacts" enhance the you-are-there approach. An afterword helps sort truth from fiction. Reading list, websites.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) 4-6 German shepherd Hoss works hard to keep his cattle herd safe and happy. The arrival of a headstrong calf, Cookie, riles up the entire ranch. When feral dogs attack the rancher's daughter, Hoss learns how to best help Cookie become the leader he wants to be. The story is predictable and didactic, but the animal perspective lends some appeal.

Reviewer: Lauren Aimonette LIang

(2) 4-6 In 1876 Tennessee, African American Prometheus Jones, thirteen, is wrongly accused of stealing a winning raffle ticket. With his younger cousin Omer, Prometheus escapes with the prize, a one-eyed horse, and sets out to find his father. On the trail, the compelling, brutal realities of cowboy life share space with painstaking character development and vibrant dialogue in this memorable novel.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2009

(3) 4-6 During the middle of the nineteenth century, cowboys who brought longhorn cattle from ranches in Texas to Kansas markets saturated American history with legends, songs, romance, and a strong work ethic. Stanley separates cowboy fact from cowboy fiction, showing readers both the glamour and the hardships of the Long Drive. The account is illustrated with archival photos. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Betty Carter

(4) 4-6 Exploring History Through Simple Recipes series. Historical background, descriptions of daily life, and culinary customs of the period alternate with eight or nine recipes featuring food mentioned in the texts. Although the recipes aren't kid-oriented and some contain minor errors, instructions for making hardtack, johnnycakes, and other old staples should delight history buffs. The books are illustrated with reproductions and archival and color photos. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) 4-6 In American History series. The Weatherford volume traces the issue of civil rights across one hundred and fifty years of American history; the other books are more concentrated, explaining the political culture of individual eras, identifying notable figures, and discussing the continuing legacy of the events described. Occasionally drab black-and-white photos and reproductions accompany the texts. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) YA The youth of George McJunkin, a real-life African-American cowboy, is fictionalized in a novel that follows the teen as he leaves his home in post-Civil War Texas and joins a cattle drive. The writing is smooth, but the episodic story is predictable and doesn't offer much beyond the usual elements of the genre--a rattlesnake bite, a dangerous river crossing, and confrontations with horse thieves and Native Americans. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta