Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch - Hardcover

Isaacs, Anne

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0375867457 ISBN 13: 9780375867453

Publisher: Schwartz & Wade, 2014

Synopsis

When Widow Tulip Jones of Bore, England, inherits a ranch in By-Golly Gully, Texas, and moves in with two trunks of tea, twelve pet tortoises, and three servants, hilarity ensues. The peaceful life suits the wealthy widow fine until word gets out and every unmarried man in Texas lines up to marry her. Widow Tulip and her small staff of three can't possibly run the farm and manage all the suitors, so she devises a plan—and it just might work. This story filled with giant tortoises, 1,000 brides, bad guys, a smart widow, and even a little romance is sure to get kids laughing.

About this title

About the Author

ANNE ISSACS is the author of Swamp Angel, a Caldecott Honor and ALA Notable Book; and its sequel, Dust Devil, which received four starred reviews; the Ghosts of Luckless Gulch, a New York Public Library Best Book; Treehouse Tales, a Junior Library Guild selection; Cat Up a Tree, a New York Public Library Title for Reading and Sharing; Torn Thread, an ALA Notable Book and a National Jewish Book Award finalist; and Pancakes for Supper, winner of the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award.

KEVIN HAWKES is the illustrator of Velma Gratch and the Way Cool Butterfly, My Little Sister Ate One Hare, Library Lion, Weslandia, and The Road to Oz. He also wrote and illustrated Wicked Big Toddlah.

Reviews

Gr 1–4—Isaacs excels at writing tall tales, and readers will not be disappointed by her newest yarn. In 1870, the widow Tulip Jones inherits millions of dollars and a ranch, so she moves from England to By-Golly Gully. She quickly learns that everything is bigger in Texas, including her garden vegetables and her beloved pet tortoises. But her blissful peace is disrupted when word gets around about her rich and unmarried status. Hilarity ensues as the widow comes up with a variety of ways to get rid of the 1000 suitors who line up at her door. Exaggeration is the name of the game from text to illustrations. The story is told in a linear, yet compelling way, and the delightful tongue-twisting narration uses a variety of fun and folksy phrases. Isaacs takes her time, humorously setting the scene through the first few pages, which prepares readers to expect larger-than-life problems and solutions. The characters are exaggerated as well, from the odious suitors to the spunky and independent widow Jones, who takes a proactive approach to solving her problems. Hawkes's painterly illustrations, rendered with acrylic and pencil, feature vast blue skies, fluffy white clouds, and sun-drenched landscapes that firmly establish the setting. These exaggerated visuals match the humorous tone set by the text. At its best when read aloud, this story will also appeal to elementary school kids who will be inspired to create their own tales with over-the-top characters.—Amy Seto Musser, Denver Public Library

English widow Tulip Jones is off to America, having inherited $35 million and an entire ranch in Texas, with a lot of tea, her three ranch hands (née house servants), and 12 pet tortoises in tow. With pluck and verve, they establish themselves in the Texas heat but soon find their efforts interrupted by more than 1000 marriageable fortune hunters. Widow Jones has to hire her own baker, one Charlie Doughpuncher, just to feed them all. At her wits end, she hatches a few impossible contests, promising to marry the winner. Meanwhile, the ranch hands solicit 1000 brides from across the country. And voila, dastards are caught, vows exchanged, and everyone, even the ranch hands, departs. Except Charlie, of course, who has a proposal of his own. Isaacs’ tall-tale plotting and over-the-top language are matched by Hawkes’ bright, comic paintings, brimming with spirit and detail. An opening endpaper signpost warns against exaggeration in Texas, promising just the outsize adventure that Isaacs and Hawkes deliver. Grades K-3. --Thom Barthelmess

Edition details

• Publisher: Schwartz & Wade
• Publication date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0375867457
• ISBN 13: 9780375867453
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Hawkes Kevin
• Number of pages: 56