(3) K-3 Cactus Hank spends life sitting in the window of a desert home and snubbing the odd turtle, tumbleweed, or other passerby. After Hank snaps at a cowboy, the man says, "Seems to me, somebody needs a hug." That gets Hank thinking... This wry tale of blossoming self-awareness boasts watercolors of amazing variety given that all scenes feature an immobile plant.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Gordon C. James. Nelson and James's engrossing picture-book biography of African American cowboy and bronc buster George Fletcher (1890–1973) mainly focuses on the major event of his riding life: the 1911 Pendleton Round-Up. Folksy language ("Ranching fit George like made-to-measure boots") brings readers right into the era, and bold brushstrokes give the illustrations a dynamic feel suitable for the subject. Back matter provides further information about the round-up and its participants. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Autumn Allen | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2019

(3) 4-6 Magnificent Mya Tibbs series. Illustrated by Eda Kaban. An adorable new baby sister leaves African American Mya feeling overlooked. A school project might just be the perfect opportunity for the now-middle child to distinguish herself. Meanwhile, Mya is also in the middle when her besties, twins Skye and Starr, become close with Mya's estranged friend, Naomi. The quirky, relatable Texas girl's third story probes the evolution of family and friendship with compassion and heart.

Reviewer: Rebecca Kirshenbaum

(4) 4-6 Jake Maddox Girl Sports Stories series. Illustrated by Katie Wood. These sports-themed stories starring girls highlight important skills necessary for success at a skate park (Longboard), a ranch (Cowgirl), on the ice (Ice Rink), and with the cheer squad (Squad). Fast pacing and black-and-white digital illustrations keep the predictable plots focused and easy to follow. Discussion questions, writing prompts, and facts about the sports are appended. Glos. Review covers these Jake Maddox Girl Sports Stories titles: Cowgirl Grit, Ice Rink Rookie, Longboard Letdown, and Squad Struggles.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(3) 4-6 Magnificent Mya Tibbs series. Illustrated by Eda Kaban. Mya has competing priorities: spending quality time with her mom before the birth of a baby sibling, studying so she beats her rival at a school quiz competition, and making the best-tasting chili in Bluebonnet's annual cook-off. Mya's personality is big as ever; folksy language, fast-paced drama, and gently offered lessons on family and friendship make this second installment about the African American cowgirl a winner.

Reviewer: Lauren Causey

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Elizabet Vukovic. "I'll wear my boots and spurs and hat. / I'll say so long to my barn cat." A girl fantasizes about going West and becoming a cowgirl; as Vukovic's winsome mixed-media art shows, she doesn't have to leave her suburban home to do so--such is the power of her imagination. DiTerlizzi's rhymes have the snap of an expertly swung lasso.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) 4-6 Checkerboard Library: History's Hotshots series. This volume of the series broadly looks at American cowboys. From their earliest days on the range to modern-day rodeo stardom, many aspects of their lives and duties are touched on. While treatments of individual topics are brief, the volume is decently informative overall. The layouts are bland, but photos, illustrations, and sidebars add extra information to the basic text. Timeline. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Églantine Ceulemans. In these offbeat British imports, Pug lives a very spoiled life with equally pampered Lady Miranda. In Captain, they attend a party on a lake, and (water-averse) Pug gets lost and must find his way back to Lady Miranda. The prissy pair's misadventure is on horseback in Cowboy. Color-accented illustrations with a vintage feel make the most of comedic moments. Review covers these titles: Captain Pug and Cowboy Pug.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(4) YA Hanne is a Berserker: uncontrollable rage compels her to kill any threat--animal or human--to herself or her family. She and her siblings flee Norway for Montana Territory in hopes that their long-lost uncle can help her master her power; along the way, Hanne meets cowboy Owen. An unusual paranormal romance–meets–Western adventure seasoned with Norse mythology. The American-frontier setting notably lacks Native presence.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker

(4) PS Illustrated by Ovi Nedelcu. City-dwelling Little Car moves "Out West" to pursue his dream of becoming a cowboy, but there's a roadblock in his path: cars can't ride horses. Is there a workaround? This genial plug for not giving up on dreams traffics in groaner wordplay ("Little Car did a brake dance") and cartoonish art that makes the West look not unlike Hanna-Barbera country.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jessie Hartland. Lexie, an unusual rancher, keeps words in line until an upstart rustler causes trouble. This clever picture book plays with how words might manifest their meanings if physically altered: helpful Lexie turns a "pest" into "pets," whereas the bandit turns "bandanas" into "bananas." Alongside the puns, anagrams, and banter, Hartland adds a folksy touch with her loose gouache illustrations. Glos.

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin

(3) 4-6 Magnificent Mya Tibbs series. Illustrated by Eda Kaban. In this high-energy school drama, after nine-year-old wannabe-cowgirl Mya is paired with Mean Connie for Spirit Week (Mya's favorite week), her new friendship with Naomi is on the rocks. Meanwhile, the Bluebonnet, Texas, school is busy with cowboy-themed Fall Festival preparations. This first installment drops readers into Mya's world, where there are endless reasons to fret but also to laugh and cheer.

Reviewer: Lauren Causey

(3) K-3 While Calico, first published in 1941, always was a Christmas story, the publisher has amped up the holiday appeal by adding a red-foil-accented jacket and replacing Burton's innovative range of paper colors with just red and green. The tale of a horse who leads a stampede to thwart a holdup and save a stagecoach full of gifts remains delightfully loopy, as do the pictures.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2041; November, 2016

(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

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Claire Ewart. At the end of WWII, a young man travels from America to Poland, bringing livestock to help starving villagers rebuild their farms. Without much character development, the book is less an engaging story than it is a brief introduction to an interesting historical event (more information is appended). Despite the serious topic, watercolor illustrations of smiling cowboys and excited villagers convey a light tone.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Michael Allen Austin. Cowpoke Clyde greets a newspaper advertisement for a bicycle with interest: "It wouldn't eat. It wouldn't stray. / It wouldn't buck or bite or neigh!" But his wobbliness on the vehicle leads to near misses with various animals. The book offers bouncy rhymes, comical illustrations of the rubber-faced protagonist in an Old West landscape, and a lesson in true grit.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) PS Illustrated by Tom Knight. "Giddy-up, Buckaroos! Here comes the sun. / Let's sneak past the sheriff and round up some fun." So begins two young siblings' Spanish language–tinged account of a day spent in vaquero (cowpoke) getups. The humor hinges on the adroit illustrations, as when they reveal that the "sheriff" is Mom and that the kids are eating store-bought beans rather than "rattlesnake stew." Glos.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by David Harrington. After young Willie's application for membership is rejected by the Texas Rangers ("You are too smiley and your belly is too big"), he proves his mettle at Amarillo's Fourth of July parade by thwarting two ice cream–stealing varmints. The narrative's Texas flavor compensates for the story's formulaic aspect, and the illustrations get across the humor with tastefulness and twang. Bib.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 I Like to Read series. At the beach with her dog Toto, Anna doesn't think much of the youngster wearing a "silly cowboy hat"--until ocean waves pull Toto away and the boy lassos him back. Simple sentences in large font provide new readers with action, tension, and some surprises. Boldly colored, black-outlined illustrations add drama and depth to a narrative that highlights a new friendship.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(4) 4-6 Wild West series. These books delve into legends and popular lore related to the American West. Brief biographies and vignettes dispel many of the myths surrounding such characters as Jesse James, Belle Starr, Butch Cassidy, and Wyatt Earp. Trailblazing includes accounts of Lewis and Clark, mountain men and fur trappers, and the Alamo. Illustrations and sidebars accompany readable texts on blandly designed pages. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Wild West titles: Gunslingers and Cowboys, Outlaws and Rebels, and Trailblazing the Way West.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg