The Case of the Twisted Kitty

Hank the Cowdog #43

by John R. Erickson, Gerald L. Holmes (Illustrator)

It's winter in the Texas Panhandle, and the ranch is covered in snow and ice.  So when Sally May sets off for town, Hank decides to follow Pete's misguided advice and bravely escorts her car down the slick road.  Before Hank realizes what's happening, Sally May's car skids into a snow drift-and she is angrier than ever before.  And who does she blame but poor Hank!  After consulting with his trusty partner, Drover, Hank decides the only way to win back Sally May's affection is to be on his absolute best behavior.  Will Hank be able to turn over a new leaf and become the well-mannered dog that every owner dreams of?

Genres: Fiction, Childrens, Mystery, Humor, Adventure, Juvenile, Animals

144 pages, Paperback

First published March 19, 2004

About the author

John R. Erickson, a former cowboy and ranch manager, is gifted with a storyteller's knack for spinning a yarn. Through the eyes of Hank the Cowdog, a smelly, smart-aleck Head of Ranch Security, Erickson gives readers a glimpse of daily life on a ranch in the West Texas Panhandle. This series of books and tapes is in school libraries across the country, has sold more than 7.6 million copies, is a Book-of-the-Month Club selection, and is the winner of the 1993 Audie for Outstanding Children's Series from the Audio Publisher's Association. Publishers Weekly calls Hank a "grassroots publishing phenomena," and USA Today says this is "the best family entertainment in years."

Hank the Cowdog made his debut in the pages of The Cattleman, a magazine for adults, and when Erickson started getting "Dear Hank" letters, he knew he was onto something. So in 1983, he self-published 2,000 copies of The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog, and they sold out in 6 weeks.

When teachers began inviting Erickson to their schools, Hank found his most eager fans. Teachers, librarians, and students alike love Hank. According to some Texas Library Association surveys, the Hank the Cowdog books are the most popular selections in many libraries' children's sections. The lively characters make excellent material for reading and writing lessons, and turn even the most reluctant readers into avid Hank-fans.

Erickson was born in Midland, Texas, but by the age of 3, he had moved with his family to Perryton, Texas, where he and his wife live today on their working cattle ranch. They have 3 grown children and 4 grandchildren. His advice to young writers is, "Write about something you know. Try to leave your readers better off than they were before."

Reviews

[SSM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, this one really was amazing! Like always so funny! :) but here, Hank’s technique was really funny! Especially to ‘defeat the cat’.

[Erika · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love listening to these books with my children; their laughter at Hank’s antics is infectious.
If at first you don’t succeed, raise your voice.

[McKenna Crimmins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book would be both a great read aloud and independent reading book. The writing was very easy, yet had certain vocabulary words that were a little harder but could still be understood by the context around it. Hank, the main dog, made may grammatical errors but would then fix them based on what did or didn't sound like, which I liked the idea of. It was a fun and humorous book that an elementary aged audience would love. There were pictures every so often that just added to the story so you could picture exactly what was going on. This book reminded me of being younger and not being able to pronounce things correctly and I could relate that to the Hank because neither could he! I would love to use this as a read aloud book.

[Darryl Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read pretty much this entire series years ago after I descovered them in my elementary school libary. The plot, and characters are great. Plus these books are extremly funny. I loved this series then and I still love it.

[Merceda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book. Hank isn't the smartest dog that ever existed. It is funny when he says things bass-ackwards. And then poor ol' Drover and his hurt leg. Great books for children, but I am enjoying them as well. My veterinarian suggested that I get them. He used to read them to his daughters.

[Clinton Sheppard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hank gives life as a 'good dog' a try.