Cowboy Camp

March 1, 2006
K-Gr 2 -Young Avery arrives at Cowboy Camp feeling self-conscious and inept. He is allergic to horses and beans, he can -t twirl a lasso, and his name is all wrong. In the end, though, it -s Avery who outsmarts Mean Black Bart during a midnight confrontation and becomes a hero. The text is concise, and the print is large and bold. The illustrations are funny and colorful, particularly the scene in which Avery spits out a mouthful of beans. The adult characters have exaggerated features, particularly the villain, who has a scary chin and a nose to rival that of any witch. This book will be appreciated by any child who has shared Avery -s concerns about not fitting in with a group." -Polly L. Kotarba, Gordon Elementary School Library, Bellaire, TX"

Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2006
Sauer's " Cowboy Camp " is a simple, clever tale that promises to be a crowd-pleaser. Avery takes one look at his fellow campers and knows that he doesn't really fit in. He can't stomach cowboy food. His lasso gives him rope burn. And because he's allergic to horses, he's forced to saddle up a cow. Sitting alone before the campfire at night, Avery is confronted by Black Bart, a desperado who threatens to put an end to Cowboy Camp forever. Only someone with Avery's special attributes could convince such a villain that this couldn't " possibly " be Cowboy Camp. In Avery, Sauer creates an unlikely yet likable hero. Reed's expressive paintings, stretching across double-page spreads, include both broadly comic and unambiguously melodramatic scenes, all carried off with a sure hand. The Black Bart scenes are particularly effective--from the sight of his craggy profile to his ride off into the sunrise.

\i (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)