Tuesday, October 4, 2016

REAL COWBOYS by Kate Hoefler / Blog Tour: Book Review


By: Kate Hoefler
Illustrated by: Jonathan Bean
Published by: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 
Released on: October 4th, 2016
Ages: All
Purchase fromAmazon | B&N
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Rating: 4 Owlets - We Enjoyed It!
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review

In Kate Hoefler’s realistic and poetic picture book debut about the wide open West, the myth of rowdy, rough-riding cowboys and cowgirls is remade. A timely and multifaceted portrayal reveals a lifestyle that is as diverse as it contrary to what we've come to expect.

This book reads like a story you'd except to be told sitting around the campfire out on the open plains. It's poetic and alluring. It not only tells the story of the life of real cowboys, this story makes readers feel like they're out on the cattle drives along side them. It's told in a way that even the youngest of readers will be captivated by the story, and one I imagine will inspire some readers to want to be cowboys/cowgirls when they grow up.


To compliment Kate's beautiful storytelling, are Jonathan's colorful yet, simple illustrations. Illustrations that paint a picture of the lives of real cowboys in a very artistic way that's not often seen in children's picture books. Over all this was a wonderful picture, and one I appreciated reading. It's not often times I get surprised by picture books, but this one surprised me in a great way. It also gave me a much greater appreciate for cowboys/cowgirls. This is a book that's definitely worth picking up!


Favorite Quote:

"Real cowboys are artists. They create. They dream. They make up stories for their friends, and horses, and dogs-stories about the world that are bigger than moving cattle to Stillwater or Red Town."


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One of the things I love about children's books, are the illustrations. I often wonder about the behind the scenes work it takes to create a picture book. One of the things I really like about REAL COWBOYS, are the illustrations, because they're not the standard illustrations we often see in picture books. To get a better idea of the work that went into Jonathan's illustrations for Real Cowboys, check out the images below. 









Be sure to pick up your copy of REAL COWBOYS, and check out Jonathan's illustrations. You just might recognize a few of these images above in the book. 

**All images are used with permission from the publisher, and may not be used without their permission. 

I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves. ~ Anna Quindlen

Good children's literature appeals not only to
the child in the adult, but to the adult in the child.
~ Anonymous ~