The Gingerbread Cowboy
PreSchool-Grade 3&ndash;A delightful, infectiously cheerful, Southwestern rendition of a familiar story. Phrases used to describe biscuits, such as plump as pillows, soft as clouds, and tasty as a big Texas barbecue, just roll off the tongue. Bow-legged and dressed in a vest, boots, hat, and a big belt buckle, the Gingerbread Cowboy teases: Giddyup, giddyup as fast as you can. You can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man and includes an added refrain, and raced away as fast as his boots could carry him. The lively text demands to be read aloud. The illustrations are bold: while the rancher and his wife look a bit flat, and the expressions of the cattle are cookie-cutter perfect, the Cowboy contorts his body expressively, and the coyote is infinitely sly. The orangey-brown land and sparse green cacti convey a sense of desolation, but the colorful crowd of animals and cowboys stands out dramatically against the parched landscape. Berry plays with point of view as the various figures trade levels of prominence. The rancher's wife bakes, almost lassoes the clever coyote, and later instructs the creature on how to make his own Gingerbread Cowboy. A fresh version of an old favorite.&ndash;Kirsten Cutler, Sonoma County Library, CACopyright &copy; Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.