We see cowboys using a flashlight to bottle feed fragile calves and then heading off a stampede of frightened cattle. You sense the vastness and beauty of the Great Plains in this book. This book would be an excellent read-aloud in class, or with a younger member of your family. Hoefler captures this spirit of hard work and fortitude in this finely written and expertly drawn picture book. My own grandmother, a homesteader in the Dakotas, frequently saddled up her horse and rode miles to the nearest town. Throughout American history, cowboys have come from all races and from both sexes. The vastness of the sky of the American West frequently leads cowboys into a realization of the presence of God. All of this means that cowboys must be one with nature, their animals and themselves.
When a baby calf won’t nurse from its mother, cowboys need to bottle feed the little animal. At night, the cowboys sometimes sing to the cattle to settle them down. Knowing how to keep the herd safe and calm is always important for cowboys. Since the cattle herds kick up dust on the trail, cowboys wear scarves that cover their noses and mouths. Because the sun can burn, cowboys wear wide-rimmed hats. They wear chaps, or leather leg wrappings, to keep from getting cut by the brush and cactus. The brush, sun and dust of the Great Plains can have a harmful effect on the cowboys, so they must wear the proper clothes for the work. Many times the cowboys are helped by herding dogs that effectively turn stray animals back to the herd.īut when things are going well, the cowboys ride alongside the cattle in a slow methodical manner. When this happens the cowboys must ride after the wayward animal. Sometimes the cattle don’t cooperate and run away. After saddling their horses, they head out to the herd. We see the cowboys getting up in the morning for another long day of herding cattle. Combined with the powerful illustration of Jonathan Bean, her fine work, “Real Cowboys,” is a pleasure to read. Kate Hoefler writes a compelling account of modern-day cowboys in this picture book. What is not remembered in many movies about cowboys is that many cowboys were Hispanic, African American and occasionally women. It is hard not to admire the determination and grit of cowboys riding across the plains, driving herds of cattle through rain and heat. Some celebrated cowboys, such as Gene Autry, were famous singers. They are featured in books, plays and television shows. One of the most enduring symbols in American history is that of cowboys. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Boston, 2016, 32 pages, K-2 By Kate Hoefler, illustrated by Jonathan Bean.
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