by Nancy Bo Flood; photos by Jan Sonnenmair
40 pages; ages 8 - 12
WordSong, 2013
I remember going to small town rodeos when I was a kid - there was that time a bull busted loose and ran through town. There were clowns, barrel races, bronc-riding, calf-roping and lots of jean-clad guys and gals sittin' on fence rails.
In Cowboy Up! Nancy Bo Flood captures the spirit of rodeo from the minute the stockmen's trucks gather to heading home at dusk. Her poems and narrative capture the tempo, flavor - even the dust of small town rodeo.
"Just as many Little League baseball players dream of competing in the World Series, many young Navaho ropers and riders dream of competing in the National Finals Rodeo," she writes. Instead of practicing their pitches, rodeo kids practice spinning their lariats over a pair of horns nailed to a sawhorse.
Accompanied by the announcer - "Ladies and gents, give a big warm welcome to our youngest competitors" - and the action-packed photography of Jan Sonnenmair, the poems and stories show every aspect of the sport of rodeo. Some events are times for speed, others for endurance. Flood tells us the rules of the arena; Sonnenmair shows us the dirt clods flying.
I've always thought Rodeos sounded full of adrenalin! Thanks for sharing this week.
ReplyDeleteI want to hear more about the bull that broke loose in your town! That sounds like picture book material to me. I like that this book would take my students to a different and interesting world.
ReplyDeleteI remember the Calgary Stampede! Someday I want to take my kids there too. We went to lots of small rodeos too, and it took forever to catch greased up piglets!
ReplyDeleteI live in rodeo country. Kids here do as much rodeoing as playing baseball. Rodeos are pretty fun to watch. There's some crazy action that goes on in those arenas! This sounds like a pretty good book that I might need to check out! thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteAthletes and culture, this is a winning combination for me. I think next time I am in Nevada I shall try and get to a rodeo! Thanks for this recommendation.
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