Cowgirl Rosie and Her Five Baby Bison - Hardcover

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Stephen Gulbis is a freelance illustrator who studied graphic design at Bath Academy of Art in England. He lives in Banbury, England, with his wife and their two daughters, Laura and Rosie. This is his first picture book.

Rezensionen

PreS-Gr 2-In a leap of reason fit only for silly tall tales out of the Wild West, Cowgirl Rosie is responsible for the care of five baby bison-Bigwig, Bonnie, Beefy, Butch, and Baby B. As with any big family, the youngsters keep Rosie busy. On a trip into town to visit Sheriff Joe, one by one, the bison disappear. "Oh calamity!" With the help of the sheriff, the young protagonist searches high and low for her babies. The two meet up with Snakey Jake, who coincidentally has five white bison in a flour sack. It is only when Rosie's unhappy tears fall like rain upon the flour-covered animals that their true identities are uncovered. With her handy lasso, Rosie thwarts Jake's attempt at escape, and the happy cowgirl is a local hero. For her reward, Sheriff Joe gives her a brand-new five-bison baby buggy. The hilarious language and predictability of this tale make it a fun choice to read aloud. The pace of the story is quick, and the vibrant illustrations convey not only the campy silliness of the story, but also incorporate traditional images of the West. A fun-filled addition to any group read-aloud, though certainly enjoyable one-on-one as well.-Piper L. Nyman, Fairfield/Suisun Community Library, Fairfield, CA

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

On his first trip out of the corral, Gulbis rustles up a rootin'-tootin' debut. Cowgirl Rosie dotes on her pets, a quintet of baby bison whose shenanigans around the ranch keep her "plumb worn out." Alas, on a trip into town to visit Sheriff Joe, the critters begin disappearing one by one, until all have vanished ("Oh, calamity!"). The sheriff suggests they "saddle up and hit the trail before it gets dark," and soon the pair encounter Snakey Jake, with a sack of flour flung on his back. Demanding to see the sack's contents, Rosie finds five white baby bison ("But these aren't my babies") and promptly bursts into tears. The waterworks wash away the flour, of course, revealing the missing pets, and when the varmint Jake tries to vamoose, Rosie snags him with her lasso. Gulbis shoehorns a wagonload of Western lingo into his text, while his watercolors, rendered in a sunny Southwestern palette, further underscore the setting. He strikes a playful tone throughout, from the scene where Snakey Jake slyly pilfers the bison from their unsuspecting owner to the celebratory cactus pie baked by Sheriff Joe, and plucky Rosie herself packs plenty of appeal. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Ages 4-7. Cowgirl Rosie has five adorable baby bison, and boy, can they wear her out as they play. But trouble lurks on a visit to town. As they walk by the barn, Bigwig disappears; Bonnie goes missing by the water barrel; twins Beefy and Butch vanish near a cactus; and Baby B falls into a hole. Rosie, who is busy whistling a tune, never notices the bison are gone till she hits her destination--Sheriff Joe's house. Then it's time to saddle up and find the varmint who took off her with her pets. The culprit will be no surprise to kids who have seen Snakey Jakey lurking around the pictures. This is the first picture book for Gulbis who is a freelance illustrator. His art background shows, because the invention lies in the artwork: the fun of the characters, especially the miniature bison, the Technicolor desert setting, and the occasional visual surprise. The story itself plays out on one note. Still, this is so much fun to look at, text deficits may pass over readers' heads. Ilene Cooper
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