Cowboy Ned & Andy

by David Ezra Stein

It's Cowboy Ned's birthday! His trusty dapple gray steed, Andy, knows that the best thing to have on your birthday is a birthday cake. While Cowboy Ned sleeps soundly, Andy wanders across the desert in search of a birthday surprise for his friend and along the way discovers what really makes a birthday special.

Echoing the simple yet graceful cowboy poetry of yore, Caldecott Honor artist David Ezra Stein's picture-book debut celebrates best friends.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Friendship, Animals, Westerns, Horses

32 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2006

About the author

David Ezra Stein is an author-illustrator whose previous books include LEAVES, winner of an Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award. He lives in Kew Gardens, New York.

Reviews

[Chad Seevers · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is a good birthday book. if you do something like giving a kid a book on there birthday, this would be a good one.

[Rada · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that the setting was unique. This is a sweet story.

[Molly Cluff (Library!) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet story, and very atmospheric! Makes me feel like I'm actually in the desert. Although it was sad that Andy worked so hard to find a cake and then didn't have any luck :( Poor Andy!

[Brandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet story about making friends happy on their birthday. Great message at the end, too.

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet reminder that friends are far more important than things!

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet book about friendship with a western setting. I like the illustrations a lot since they look like crayon doodles in some ways, with more finesse.

[Victoria Harting · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story about the value of friendship over material.

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet story about devoted horse Andy, who goes off to search for a cake for his pal Cowboy Ned's birthday. This was Stein's first picture book.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of depressing

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a lovely book about a horse that loves his rider so much he goes to great lengths to make the cowboy's birthday special.

[Justice · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun little book with a big lesson being taught!

[Kelly Holmes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute illustrations and sweet story, but the text is way too long. Also, I'm not a huge fan of kids books where someone else solves the main character's problem. But another book by this author is GREAT: Monster Hug!. Check that one out instead!

[Rosemary Szczygiel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Theme is birthdays. Sub-themes: friendship, and "critters" of the Southwest. Where else are you going to find a scorpion? Interesting discussion points for addressing where the scorpion lives, and that certain dangers exist in the desert habitat (don't forget to point out the spiny cactus)

[The Brothers · Rating 3 out of 5]

A tale of a horse trying to get his friend the cowboy a birthday cake in the middle of the desert. In the end, the horse realizes the best gift he can give is being with his friend on his birthday.

Clunky, but okay illustrations.

[Hope L. Justice · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a really nice little Western and I love the illustrations. I found it unnecessarily long. The plot could have rung true to traditional Westerns but also within the restrictions of a picture book.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice vocabulary. Liked the message that friends are more important that things.

[Gita Arimanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too long. But it's great to put kids to sleep.

[Mollie B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andy looks for a cake for Cowboy Ned's birthday. It's a cute story, but not quite right for a storytime about cowboys.