Little Lost Cowboy

PreS-Gr 2—A familiar story pattern gets a Southwestern spin in this tale of a young coyote lost in the desert. The moon, a snake, and a bird all do their best to guide the wanderer, but their well-intentioned advice backfires, leaving Cowboy Coyote wet, sore, and with a nose pricked by cactus prickles. Finally, a toad provides the best guidance, telling him to stay in one place and howl for his mother. As the book concludes, Cowboy Coyote's helpers fondly watch him following his mother "homeward and homesome!" (a nice wordplay on "lost and lonesome," a refrain the young critter uses to describe himself throughout his earlier interactions). The repetitive text is accessible and child-friendly, and the desert setting is skillfully evoked with warm, earth-toned illustrations created from beautifully textured handmade paper, finished with bold black lines. Children are sure to enjoy the satisfying ending and chime in on Cowboy Coyote's refrain once they have absorbed the pattern.—Kate Hewitt, Far Brook School, Short Hills, NJ