Every Cowgirl Needs a Horse
Nellie Sue is a self-described “cowgirl from head to toe,” and all she wants for her birthday is a horse. She gets ready for her party by dressing in riding gear, from a pink cowboy hat to pink chaps. Before the celebration, though, she has to complete her chores, including filling her dog Ginger’s “trough” (his water bowl), and she drops not-so-subtle horsey hints to her parents along the way. After lunch, there is still no horse, but there are johnnycakes—birthday cupcakes—with a herd of her friends. Finally, Nellie Sue gets her present, but it has handlebars and “wheels where hoofs should be.” Although she is disappointed, she trades her cowboy hat for a helmet and discovers that her new “horse” is perfect for riding the trails. This entertaining picture book features a spunky protagonist, whose folksy narrative delivers a supportive message about the rewards of imaginative play and finding unexpected fun. The colorful, animated illustrations, filled with amusing details, set Nellie Sue’s cowgirl-imagined world in familiar, contemporary settings, all touched with plenty of pink. Grades K-2. --Shelle Rosenfeld