Rosie and the Rustlers - Hardcover

Gerrard, Roy

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0374363455 ISBN 13: 9780374363451

Publisher: Farrar Straus & Giroux, 1989

Synopsis

Rosie Jones sets off with her wranglers on a trip to Cherokee territory, unaware that Greasy Ben and his gang of rustlers have slithered into town to rob Rosie's ranch

About this title

Reviews

Grade 1-4-- The Old West has never been more appealing than in this rip-roaring, yet gentle British tale of ranchers vs. rustlers. Rosie Jones is boss of the cowboys and presides over a neat, cozy little ranch where Fancy Dan, Salad Sam, One-Leg Smith, Singing Sid, Mad McGhee and Utah Jim "Work extremely hard, to stop her getting cross." Their exaggerated hats are tall enough to hold at least 10 gallons and, of course, are light in color, if not white. In darker, but equally tall hats, are Greasy Ben and his band of ruffians. Each page contains one or two quatrains and Gerrard's characteristically clever, charming, and detailed watercolor illustrations. As the good guys chase the bad, double-page spreads present panoramic views of mountains, canyons, and cactus. Pages with a great deal of white space follow, while Rosie and the cowboys figure out how to capture Greasy Ben without a fight. Gerrard, in his usual fashion, has captured a child's view of a western adventure in which sleeping on the hard and lumpy ground, morning baths in a stream, and eating beans for breakfast are made important. Details in the illustrations of the bunk house combine the motifs of the West with homey images of a teddy bear, family portraits, and picture books. One is reminded of dioramas when turning these pages: miniatures of ranch, desert, and town that enable viewers to walk right in and be a part of it all. Gerrard uses rich browns, blues, and pale greens with touches of reds, reaching children with little details that will make them giggle and even explode into laughter. --Kay E. Vandergrift, School of Communication, Information and Library Studies, Rutgers Univ . , New Brunswick, NJ
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gerrard ( The Favershams ; Sir Cedric ) transports his comic and lumpish figures across the Atlantic to tell a western tale. "Where the mountains meet the prairie, where the men are wild and hairy / There's a little ranch where Rosie Jones is boss." While Rosie and her men are visiting their friends the Cherokees, Greasy Ben and his gang try to steal her cattle. As usual, Gerrard's humor is understated and droll. Ben's gang is "sinister and seedy, good-for-nothing, grim and greedy / And their manners were a positive disgrace." Rosie and her men stop to rest in the middle of their chase to eat "a buffalo for tea." Bespectacled Utah Dan comes up with the plan to lasso the chimney of the villains' hideout and pull it into the water with a "satisfying splosh." The good guys win out in this straight-faced comedy that--like Rosie's celebration party--is "enormous fun." Ages 3-up.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Farrar Straus & Giroux
• Publication date: 1989
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0374363455
• ISBN 13: 9780374363451
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 32