Giddy Up, Cowgirl
PreSchool-Grade 2–Momma has a whole list of errands to run so she tells her daughter to Giddy up. Cowgirl, an exuberant child with lots of imagination and energy, is determined to be helpful. As the two proceed through their tasks, several problems occur. Sometimes Cowgirl is successful in solving them (she sings to compensate for the broken car radio); at other times, disaster ensues (she scatters letters to be mailed on the sidewalk). At the grocery store, Cowgirl lets go of the list, which blows away in the wind. She assures her mother, I remember EVERYTHING on that list, and then fills the basket with candy and treats. Even though Momma visibly loses patience by the end of the trip, the story finishes with hugs all around. The spare narrative is peppered with cowboy drawl. The bright cartoon illustrations really shine: they fill in the texts broad outlines by using facial expressions to add humor and warmth. Krosoczka does a good job of selecting situations that both children and adults will find funny. The lively language and colorful artwork make this tale a Yippeee Yi YEEEE! choice for reading aloud.–Susan E. Murray, Glendale Public Library, AZCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.