Some of my favorite moments spent with my kids are the times I read to them before naptime and bedtime when they were little. They had their favorite books and I had mine and this is one of mine: Cowboy Country, by Ann Herbert Scott.
I like this author and I have another book by her (Someday Rider) in the collection I started of children’s cowboy books when my son was a baby. I like this story in particular mostly because of the beautiful watercolor illustrations by Ted Lewin but also because of the storyline about an old cowpuncher and a young boy, the Blue Healer dog, horses, and cows. Stories about our lifestyle are my kinds of stories.
I especially like this illustration because this is a common sight around here in the spring at neighborhood brandings and depicts a true account of ranch work activities common around here.
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The dog, Matilda, reminds me of the blue healer we had when I was kid; Blue. The illustrations are so realistic and have so many little details that they illustrations make the story come to life.
The veteran buckaroo takes the boy out of the town and into cattle country, and teaches the lad about cowboying. The picture of the old man leading his pack mule reminds me of my dad and the trail rides my family went on in the Big Horns of Wyoming to go camping.
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When my son was small, it was hard to find children’s books about cowboys, cowboying, and ranching and I wanted to read books to him that were about our way of life. Cowboy Country has always been a favorite book to read for both of my kids and me, and there’s nothing better than reading a good book right before naptime!
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