Review: Rodeo Red by Maripat Perkins

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

A rip-roaring new sibling story illustrated by Caldecott Honor winner Molly Idle. Rodeo Red and her hound dog Rusty are happier than two buttons on a new shirt… until Side Swiping Slim shows up. Red is sure that anyone who hollers that much will be hauled to the edge of town and told to skedaddle, but her parents seem smitten. When that scallywag sets his eye on Rusty, Rodeo Red had better figure out a way to save her best friend in all the world. Can she make a bargain with a varmint?

MY TAKE:
I never went through a country/cowgirl phase, but I loved this book nevertheless.

In Rodeo Red, Red is a young girl who pretends she's a cowgirl. She has a stuffed toy named Rusty, which her little brother swipes one day. What's a cowgirl to do?

I liked the book's use of country slang. It injects personality into the story and makes Red fun to watch. I don't think I've ever read a children's book written this way, so this was a new experience for me.

I thought it was clever of Red to imagine her parents as a Sheriff and her Deputy, and to imagine her little brother as an outlaw. I'm sure older siblings have felt like their parents have favored their younger siblings at one time or another, so young kids with younger siblings will be find this interesting and be able to relate.

Red seems like a clever girl, and her brother is pretty cute. The illustrations are done in a way that really fits the Old West theme.

Overall, this is a very cute, sweet story, and it has the potential to be a series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Peachtree Publishers for the e-ARC. Publication date of Rodeo Red is on March 1, 2015.

THE GOOD:

1. It's fun to read aloud.
2. The illustrations are charming and fit well with the story.
3. The characters are likable.

THE BAD:

1. Some children may find the muted colors used to be unappealing.

READ IT IF:

1. Your child likes anything to do with cowboys.
2. You're looking for something that's fun to read aloud.
3. You're looking for a children's book that has something new.

RATING:


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