Children's Book of the Week: 3

We're in cowboy mode around here. After a weekend at the rodeo, Audrey's week of learning about Texas history at school, and our planning for her impending birthday at the ranch, we're almost all tuckered out. But not yet. This week's book is one of my favorites in our collection. It's a compilation of stories about

The Brave Cowboy
by Joan Walsh Anglund.


"Once there was a cowboy. He was strong and brave. He was not afraid of coyotes. He was not afraid of mountain lions. He was not afraid of ornery rustlers."

This charming little book was originally published in 1959. The author based the little boy on the adventures her own 3-year-old would imagine. The stories follow the brave cowboy through his day as he has imaginary adventures with Indians, wild animals, and outlaws. He is drawn in a simple black line-drawing style, and the red illustrations represent the brave cowboy's imaginary world. He must bravely defend himself against bandits, wrestle rattlesnakes, and rescue stagecoaches and fair maidens.

You may remember this book from when you were little. I'm pretty sure I do, or maybe it's just the style of Anglund's drawings that take me back. Either way, this book is one we treasure. It's a perfect little glimpse into the mind of an independent little boy and the way he imagines himself to be. Check it out here!

Anglund also wrote Cowboy's Secret Life, Cowboy and his Friend, and The Cowboy's Christmas. They're kind of hard to find, but if you hunt a little, you'll come across one for your family!