The Cowboy ABC

by Chris L. Demarest

An alphabet book featuring words that are related to cowboys and their way of life, such as appaloosa and tumbleweed.

Genres: Picture Books, Westerns, Childrens

32 pages, Paperback

First published March 15, 1999

About the author

Writer and illustrator of works for children.

Reviews

[Brewer Tunstall · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Cowboy ABC by Chris L. Demarest
The end pages on this picture book are a bright red. Then on the acknowledgements page there is a unique illustration of a cowboy on a horse watching the sunset. This illustration stands out because the shape is very abstract. This lays out what the rest of the illustrations will look like. The picture book begins with describing ABC's with western things. For example, the book says "A is for Appaloosa a trusty steed, B is for buckaroo who rides at top speed." The illustrations on these pages are a horse coming out of a stable and then on the next page the cowboy is riding the horse. I love how the illustrations flow onto the next page. It allows the children to really understand what the words are explaining. The colors of the picture are in warmer tones to describe the dust on the farm. Demarest uses the whole page for the illustrations and some even go off the page. This picture book is recommended for preschoolers to kindergarteners.

[Richelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great, not to wordy alphabet book about cowboys.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Words associated with being a cowboy.

[Gracewellworn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the beautiful illustrations and rich introduction to cowboy life

[Vivian · Rating 3 out of 5]

We began our library COWBOYS! story time with this picture alphabet book, using DIALOGIC READING engagement.

"Dialogic reading works. Children who have been read to dialogically are substantially ahead of children who have been read to traditionally on tests of language development. Children can jump ahead by several months in just a few weeks of dialogic reading." --Grover J. (Russ) Whitehurst

See more info here: http://www.readingrockets.org/article...

"What do cowboys like to ride?" I asked, turning to the first page and pointing to the image. A HORSE! "This horse is called an appaloosa because it has freckles all over. Can you say appaloosa?" APPALOOSA!

There is SO MUCH fun vocabulary in this book. VOCABULARY building is another key "reading readiness" process that can be catapulted ahead using picture books and reading aloud. Children LOVE learning and expressing new words. Here's more info: http://www.readingrockets.org/teachin...

[North Lake County Public Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

The parent who recommends this book notes that there are a lot of "ABC" books that use animals to illustrate the letters--animals that many children in rural environments like ours have never seen. She specifically mentioned "H is for Hippo" as problematic, since many if not most children in our town have never been to a zoo (the closest one may be in Billings, over 6 hours away by car). "The Cowboy ABC," on the other hand, uses images and objects and animals that the children here will actually be familiar with! That's pretty rare, in my experience, even though Western literature has a huge foothold here, and there are many picture books of a Western bent. The illustrations are fun, and the text is accessible even for the littlest littlies. The parent who checked it back in last actually wrote a thank-you card (in partnership with her little boy) and sent it off to Chris Demarest. She gave me one as well. All in all, I think that's a pretty resounding recommendation for this book!

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Cowboy ABC by Chris L. Demarest is an alphabetic tribute to the American cowboy and the roundup. Featured words include Appaloosa, Buckaroo, Farrier, jinglebobs, Lariat, oilcloth, quirt, saddle and yearlings. An Author's Note gives backgound about cowboys and book's focus.

Demarest's illustrations were painted in watercolor. The one or two page illustrations portray the various cowboy-related words. My favorite images include Buckaroo, farrier, lariat, reins, wagon and end of the day.

This colorful book is evocative of the western cowboy's life and the wide open spaces where they work. Both action and quiet moments are shown. This would work for ABC, cowboy, and horse themes. I really enjoyed this ABC book and recommend it for school and public library collections.

For ages 3 to 7, alphabet, cowboys, horses, cattle, roundup, and fans of Chris L. Demarest.

[Nikki Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adore this book. The rhymes and the letters of the story flow so well, and the educational aspect of learning history through a cowboy's life and back in the day makes the nook unique and fantastic. I loved how well the book painted a picture of life on the ranch, and also flowed very well through the story. The story takes the alphabet through the story of a dude ranch back in the days of cowboys and is very informational and educational. I would recommend this to any teacher, especially for younger grades when learning about the wild west, or any cowboy adventures. Some of the words that the letters stood for I did not know what meant, but after looking at the picture and the sentence that followed I was able to understand and even learn something new. Younger children might need a little help comprehending some of the words, but by looking at the pictures I think most children would understand.

[Kaytlyn Rosynek · Rating 3 out of 5]

This ABC book would be perfect for children who like horses and Western/cowboy themes. Each of the letters in the book corresponded to a cowboy or a ranch. I thought the illustrations were detailed but not colorful enough. This book for young readers, would probably not get their attention. The wording was also difficult, and relating to this story would not happen unless horses are something you love. The author does a good job of using each letter though inside the same "cowboy" theme. Most of the time in ABC books,

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

From appaloosa to z "the sound of the end of the day", this colorful cowboy alphabet book perfect for cowboy-themed story time.

CIP: An alphabet book featuring words that are related to cowboys and their way of life, such as appaloosa and tumbleweed.

"An appealing day on the range." School Library Journal
"Will leave readers itching to saddle up." Kirkus Reviews

[Julene · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not your usual, boring ABC book (U is for umbrella, Z is for zipper...). We got this one to teach Eden about cowboys since her grandpa she's named after was a cowboy. I was pleasantly surprised with how inventive it is (even a good one for X, Q and Z) and I learned some new things about cowboys, too.

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Author's Note states, "I wanted The Cowboy ABCto tell a story, just like the T.V. shows did. But, instead of a fantasy world full of heroes and bad guys, this book would tell of a different cowboy: the real hero who rides the long, dusty trail of a cattle drive." I think this description captures the essence of the book.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations are marvelous and very dynamic, and the text, while short and simple, does offer some new and interesting information about cowboys. This book would be perfect for any young reader interested in cowboys and the Old West.

[Alfajirikali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful illustration, and neat introduction of "different" ABC words.

[Elle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great vocabulary for each letter of the alphabet. Pictures of the items are arranged totell the story of a cowboy on a cattle drive.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple and fun. It is always a good idea to have several ABC books when it is time to learn letters, and this is a fun one. The kids have picked it off the shelf at the library several times.