Cowboy Jose

by Susan Middleton Elya, Tim Raglin (Illustrator)

When Cowboy José encounters Rosita and falls madly in love, his devoted horse fears the worse for his dear friend, and when Rosita tries to spend Cowboy José's rodeo winnings, Feo the horse is happy to watch his partner send Rosita away for good, in a picture book that includes Spanish words throughout.

Genres: Picture Books, Spanish Literature, Westerns, Fiction, Childrens, Friendship

32 pages, Hardcover

First published March 17, 2005

About the author

Susan Middleton Elya is the author of many books that cleverly incorporate Spanish vocabulary into lively verse. She is originally from Iowa and now lives in Northern California.

Reviews

[Sarah Threlkeld · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story sends a good message and introduces kids to words and events they might not know about, but the rhyme scheme felt off, which affected my fluency. I think primary students would enjoy this book.

[cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book. It has a great, natural rhythm and mixes Spanish and English words.

[Aramis Troche · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well handled bilingual story in verse of a cowboy and his kind and caring horse who enter the rodeo to win the heart of a possibly not so kind and caring senorita.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Working on my Spanish vocabulary. This was a fun one.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pre-K, narrative skills, phonological awareness, bilingual, latin america.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. Not only was it a cute story, but it also incorporated some Spanish words which is awesome. :) Especially since I'm trying to introduce my girls to the language.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really cute story with a nice flow and rhyme. The illustrations are adorable. Spanish words and phrases are incorporated in a seamless fashion which is a plus.

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute book. Rhyme was a little hard with my American accent, but still a good way to start teaching Spanish to young kids.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cowboy Jose enters a rodeo to win the big prize with hopes to take Rosita on a date. This story blends both English and Spanish to tell the tale.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

First picture book read of 2022. I definitely see why Susan Middleton Elya is a popular children's author. Cowboy José is an adorable story about a poor cowboy trying to impress a beautiful lady, for all the wrong reasons, with the help from his trusty horse, Feo.

Children will love listening to the rhyme scheme of this story, learning Spanish words, and admiring the vivid illustrations. The book also provides a Spanish Glossary to help readers connect the meaning to the words, but Elya includes plenty of context clues to help the story flow from page to page. Lastly, the story offers an excellent universal message at the end that tells a satisfying conclusion.

[Mallory Lucas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a cute story that incorporates some spanish words. It is fun to read and to teach students some words in spanish. My first graders loved it.

[Cj Sime · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic rhymes. Great message about being who you are for your self. Cute story.