Kid Sheriff and the Terrible Toads

August 11, 2014
Shea and Smith, the duo behind Big Plans, deliver a western yarn that’s long on cowboy slang and longer on screwball comedy. Mayor McMuffin of Drywater Gulch cannot abide the “hootin’, hollerin’, and cattle kissin’ ” Toad brothers, who are wreaking havoc in the arid one-horse town. At last, a boy in a 10-gallon hat rides “into town. Slowly. On a tortoise. Give him a minute.” He claims to be qualified as sheriff, due to his expertise on dinosaurs, and he stubbornly attributes the Toad brothers’ robberies and unusual treatment of cattle to velociraptors and tyrannosaurs. Kid Sheriff insists on reserving the jail for the likes of T. rex,
absurd logic prevails, and the menacing Toads get their just deserts. Smith pictures sepia-tinted heroes and villains, and sets the action against an apt backdrop of cracked earth, speckled mesas, and spiky sagebrush. Shea maintains a deadpan drawl that mirrors the straightforward
visuals. If children are more likely to know dinosaurs than B-movie chestnuts like “Gabby the town prospector,” adults can meet them halfway in this punchy read-aloud. Ages 4–8. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House.

Starred review from August 1, 2014
A young sheriff comes riding high-atop a tortoise-toward the troubled, "cumin-scented" town of Drywater Gulch. Just give him a minute. How to get the Toads-not the four-legged kind, but three lawless brothers saddled with a silly name and a yen to "steal your gold, kiss your cattle, and insult your chili"-into the hoosegow? Avowed dino-expert Ryan knows just the ploy: blame the big hole blasted into the bank on T. Rex and the stagecoach robbery on Velociraptors. The cattle-kissin'? Why, Triceratops, of course. Annoyed to no end at not getting proper credit for their crimes ("Why I smooched them beefy lips my own self!"), the Toads rudely occupy the clink: "HA! You can blow them dinersores out your nose Sheriff, this here jail is full up of real bonafide criminals!" "Hooray!" cheer the townsfolk. Sheriff Ryan just saddles up his reptilian steed and rides off into the sunset...over the next three days. The hulking Toads cut properly brutish figures in Smith's angular, sand-and-brown Wild West scenes, while their pint-sized nemesis sports the requisite white chaps and a huge white hat. A crowd-pleasin' knee-slapper that'll have 'em rolling in the aisles, yessirree. (Picture book. 5-8)

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Starred review from July 1, 2014

K-Gr 2-The gold stealin' and cattle kissin' Toad Brothers are terrorizing the town of Drywater Gulch again! So when seven-year-old Ryan rides into town on a tortoise and offers to help, the mayor immediately gives him the task of wrangling up the Toads. The new sheriff may not know anything about riding horses or lassoing crooks, but like most boys, he does know an awful lot about dinosaurs. As Ryan investigates the crime scenes, he blatantly blames dinosaurs for the crime in the town and sets out to nab the terrifying lizards. Although Sheriff Ryan is pretty ridiculous in his accusations, children will love the ending, since the little hero gets the last laugh. Shea's humor is spot-on in Sherriff Ryan's unwavering logic and assumptions, and his distinct characters will make this an instant hit at storytime. Smith's illustrations, with grainy color and vivid textures, match the deadpan silliness to a tee, and keen dinosaur hunters will love the few dinosaur mirages hidden in the background. Another stellar job by Shea and Smith.-Peter Blenski, Greenfield Public Library, WI

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2014
Grades K-2 Drywater Gulch is in a big ol' heap of trouble. The Toad brothers are raisin' heck. Why, them fools would rightly steal your gold, kiss your cattle, and insult your chili. Mayor McMuffin is plumb panicked until boy-aged Sheriff Ryan rides into town. On a tortoise. ( Give him a minute, writes Shea, tracking his progress across two spreads.) The sheriff has a suspicion: it ain't Toads doin' the stealin' and kissin' and insultin'it's dinosaurs! See, it's T. rex what done blasted open the jail, not dynamite, and velociraptors who gone ahead and hog-tied them victims, not no bandits. Well, the Toads don't cotton to that! Hoppin' angry that the dineysaurs are gettin' all the credit, they hotfoot their way into the jail. That's when the rootin'-tootin' varmints realize they been had. Dang it! Shea's enjoyably bizarre take on a good old fashioned hoodwinkin' finds a perfect executor in Smith, whose desert-hued illustrations have all the hard corners and sneering lines of a wanted poster. Aw shucks, now Sheriff Ryan is probably blushing.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)