A Night on the Range
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- $19.99
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- $19.99
Publisher Description
Winner of the 2011 Spur Award for Best Storyteller by the Western Writers of America
The cowboy life isn't easy, filled with riding, roping, and ranging. But Cole knows that it's the only life for him. In what other profession does a hard day's work lead directly to an evening campfire? In this story of Western dreams and unfenced imagination, a boy and his faithful dog leave indoor comforts behind for a sleep-out under the stars. But when the sun goes down, how's a young cowpoke to handle his first run-in with bandits, bears, and worse? Saddle up for the backyard adventure in A Night on the Range.
"Humor runs effortlessly through the winding story, rich with cowboy drawl, double meanings and playful interplay between the narrative and art...." — Kirkus Reviews
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Inspired by a pair of cowboy boots and steady diet of black-and-white Westerns checked out from the library, Cole is ready to take his pretend play to the next level by sleeping under the stars (his faithful and highly expressive dog, Bull s Eye, is more dubious). Does Cole have what it takes to stand tall against the sounds and shadows of the backyard at night, which seem to speak of crickets and rattlesnakes... or owls and secret calls between bandits ? Frisch s (Dark Fiddler) text has a little too much fun at his hero s expense ( Cole never knew it could get so chilly on the range. He wondered if cowboys always got goosebumps ), but Sheban s (Catching the Moon), signature pebbly surfaces diffuse light to give even the goofiest or most prosaic images an ethereal quality that testifies to the transportive power of imagination. And his mise-en-sc ne is worthy of Sergio Leone, whether it s a closeup of Cole brushing his teeth with a beef jerky stick or a stunning worm s eye view of Cole and Bull s Eye losing themselves in the wonders of twilight. Ages 5 up.
