DO COWBOYS RIDE BIKES? [ First edition, second printing ]

A verse account of cowboy life describes ropes, rustlers, cattle drives, and stampedes

PreSchool-Grade 2. Fourteen questions a young child might ask about cowboys, such as where they live, what they look like, what they eat, etc., are answered in rhyme. Rollicking, cartoon-style illustrations done in pen and ink and watercolors capture the silliness and humor of the verses. The words have a lilting ring that makes them inviting to beginning readers. As an additional purchase, this title is good for a laugh.?Sally R. Dow, Ossining Public Library, NY
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Tucker and Westcott (Do Pirates Take Baths?, 1994, not reviewed) turn to the cowboy life in rollicking verse and pictures. Each spread answers a headlined question (e.g., ``Where do cowboys live?''); the text imparts minimal information while the illustrations take a more humorous approach. The answer to ``what happens after the round-up?'' explains that the cattle are driven ``along an old trail,'' while the map shows ``where the round-up starts'' and a dotted line that wends its way around Big Rocks and Little Rocks, through a Great Forest where a couple of cows stray, fords a Stream, crosses a Very Dry Desert, circles a rattlesnake, slips past some bad guys, and heads straight into the Saloon in the next town. While children will enjoy the fluff, they won't come away with much to chew on from this heapin' helpin' of Old West nonsense. (Picture book. 3-6) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Ages 4^-7. The team that created Do Pirates Take Baths? (1994) returns with another humorous question-and-answer picture book--this one devoted to cowhands. Tucker's 14 queries range from the obvious ("What do cowboys eat?" and "Where do cowboys live?") to the ridiculous ("Do cowboys ride bikes?" and "Do cowboys ever take off their boots?"), with rhymed responses offering more or less accurate information. The real fun comes from Westcott's droll ink-and-acrylic illustrations, which portray cowpokes donning long johns, roasting marshmallows, sleeping in boots, and applying hair tonic before a night out on the town. The cows cash in on the fun, too, panting during a stampede and joining in at a campfire serenade. Although the intended audience may miss some of the humor, most of the book's absurdities are sure to appeal to young listeners. Kay Weisman