Real Cowboys, written by Kate Hoefler, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Student Reviewer: William R.
Summary: To begin, the visual contrast of the vibrant colors, both dark and light appeal to the contrast of the human persona. The bright colors grasp the attention of anyone who may scan over or through the book. The colors are also very deep which adds to a sense of intrigue and warmth, similar to that of a campfire which begs the attention of readers. Furthermore the use of child-like stencils layered over the background serves to create a comforting mood, helping the reader to connect and become intrigued by the book. These childlike stencils also create a sense of safety, capturing the reader’s attention and emotion. This connection allows the reader to have an emphasized experience while reading Real Cowboys. Within the story each page is plastered with colors relating to the events of the page. For example in the beginning the cowboy starts the day with actions such as herding cattle, riding fast horses through treacherous paths, and dealing with stampedes and storms. This is matched with very bright colors such as reds, yellows and oranges that help add to the action-packed mood. As night seeps into the day and the cowboys begin to settle down, making camps underneath the stars, the colors of the page begin to darken and deepen. The colors migrate from reds to purples, and from oranges to blues, representing a more calm mood. Throughout each day the cowboys work hard to take care of their cattle, friends and family while continuing on their journey.

Straight Talk for Librarians: Within classrooms and libraries, this is a very good story to read aloud with young children due to its visual appeal and positive message. This would also be a great book for a children’s book club due to the sufficient amount of talking points that the story brings up. The main message, or theme of the story is that anyone can be a cowboy. The qualities that define being a cowboy are not limited to the tough, strong, “manly” traits that appear to be necessary, but rather cowboys are people who care for everyone and everything around them. Cowboys are those that take the time out of their day, even when they are busy, to continually care for, show emotion towards, and guide the people and world around them. This is a great message to portray to children at a young age in order to promote acceptance and care in our youth which will help lead to creating a better world in the future. Overall, I would give this book a rating of 5 stars because I feel the message truly hits home and is very important, especially given the state of our world in this day and age. It was a wonderful read with a positive message that all people should hear.