Rodeo - Hardcover

Robbins, Ken

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0805033882 ISBN 13: 9780805033885

Publisher: Henry Holt & Co, 1996

Synopsis

Offers a comprehensive review of this unique sport, covering the rules of a rodeo and its various events, such as bull riding and saddle bronc, and the part played by many of its colorful participants, from the cowboys and cowgirls through the fearless clowns.

About this title

Reviews

Grade 2-5?Rodeo, according to Robbins, "...is how a cowboy plays." In this spare introduction, he describes bronc riding, bull riding, steer wrestling, calf roping, team roping, and barrel racing. Succinct definitions of the role of the rodeo clown and of "rough stock" are also provided. The author writes in a casual, conversational style. The fact that cowboys need to be strong and willing to take risks is evident from both the hand-painted photographs and the text. The pictures capture the dusty, dry quality of the rodeo and the blurred action of fast-moving horses and steers. The animals involved, however, seem to be viewed only as vehicles for the cowboys to earn money and glory. There is no explanation of the use of cinches to encourage horses and bulls to buck, or even more general information on the care and treatment of these "four-legged partners" who are as important as the cowboys to the rodeo's success.?Carol Schene, Taunton Public Schools, MA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

In a departure from his characteristic still-life photos of bridges, tools, flowers, and the elements, Robbins (Earth, 1995, etc.) turns his camera to a much more kinetic subject--the rodeo. He first reaches back 150 years to provide readers with a brief history of the rodeo. Interspersing cowboy colloquialisms with facts, this concise photo essay clearly defines and describes the rules of the rodeo and its major events. From bareback bronc riding to steer wrestling, calf roping to female barrel racing, Robbins shows how this fierce, dusty, bone-crushing wild-ride-of-a-sport is not for the faint-hearted. Surprisingly, hand-tinted photos work just as well for action shots of bucking bulls and broncos as they do for lonely portraits of empty bleachers, suggesting anticipation while framing and accentuating the rough and tumble events that show ``how a cowboy plays.'' (Picture book/nonfiction. 7+) -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Edition details

• Publisher: Henry Holt & Co
• Publication date: 1996
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0805033882
• ISBN 13: 9780805033885
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32