The Book of Cowboys

by Holling Clancy Holling

J917.8Hol Story About Cowboys and the life the live.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Childrens, Picture Books, Geography

126 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1936

About the author

Born in Jackson County, Michigan, in 1900, Holling Clancy Holling graduated from the Art Institute of Chicago in 1923. He then worked in a taxidermy department of the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago and spent time working in anthropology under Dr. Ralph Linton.

During this period, he married Lucille Webster, and within a year of their marriage accepted a position as art instructor on the first University World Cruise, sponsored by New York University. For many years, Holling C. Holling dedicated much of his time and interest to making books for children. Much of the material he used was known to him first hand, and his wife, Lucille, worked with him on many of the illustrations.

Sometimes listed as Holling C. Holling

Reviews

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wealth of information is presented through a basic story. There are a few full-color plates, but I wish the rest of the illustrations were larger as there is a lot of detail in them.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a GREAT book if you want to know anything about cowboys, their horses, the cattle they herd, the equipment they use (bridles and bits and saddles and such), etc. It is presented in a very thorough, yet extremely readable, manner with many excellent pencil illustrations and a few beautiful full page color illustrations. The plot is simple, but keeps the book flowing, as the author teaches the basics. I loved this book and learned a lot! This book is a great reference volume on a variety of "cowboy" subjects.

Some things I learned--

How cowboys and ranching all began, including how adobe houses are constructed, the details of branding (originated with the Mexicans), why horses are shoed (to protect their feet in the rocky foothils), why animals buck--"A muskox, in the Arcitc regions, bucks beautiful. A bufalo is one of the wildest buckers on four legs." (p 84), why sucking the venom out of a rattlesnake doesn't harm the person--"The venom has to be injected into the blood stream to be dangerous." (p 101), etc.

Mesa is the Spanish word "table". Mesas were formed when rivers gnawed out deep canyons from the rock and soil, leaving flat-topped pieces of land between the canyons which looked like a giagantic jig-saw puzzle. The Spanish called them mesas.

"Horses and cows get up from their bedding grounds in different ways...a horse hoists his front end up first, while a cow starts with her rump. In lying down, a cow flops first to her kneews, a horse to his hocks." (pp 34-35)


I have a 1936 hardbound volume of this book, but plan to give it to my daughter-in-law, Dene', for her birthday this month as she loves horses and riding. I hope she will enjoy it as much as I did.

[Michael Dutchak · Rating 5 out of 5]

A favorite book of mine after moving to Texas for two years in 1960. I spent hours reading this book and day dreaming as a kid about wild adventures and fighting bandits against all odds.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

As wonderful as The Book of Indians — delightful illustrations and engaging storyline.

[Christine Jeffords · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally back in print in paperback (you can find it on Amazon), this may be the best introductory book to "the cowboy trade" ever written for younger readers. Peter and Barbara Ann Brandon (probably around 11 and nine), who have lived all their lives in a New York City apartment, are suddenly visited (about 1935-6; the book is copyright 1937) by their uncle (their mother's brother), Harry Morton, who owns not one but two ranches Out West--the Circle Cross, just north of Santa Fe, and the Bar Six, just east of Virginia City, Montana--and wants them to come visit for the summer and learn all about cowboys and ranching. What child of the 1930s could resist? Over the next three months they do indeed learn a lot, and so will the reader, as Uncle Harry, his foreman Jim, and several of his cowhands--particularly tall-tale teller Alkali Jones--explain the history of the Western cattle trade, how the cowboy works, the use of his equipment, even which animals live where. (Although it's never specifically mentioned, Uncle Harry, a bachelor, is probably looking ahead to the fate of his two spreads when he's gone: one for Peter, one for Barbara Ann.) They learn to ride and rope and what *not* to do when lost, go on a pack trip to a remote cow camp, help to build a line cabin, find out about wildlife from coyotes and rattlesnakes up to the big grazers like elk, and finally attend a blow-out multi-day rodeo and receive some gifts they never anticipated. Almost every page is embellished with Holling's own clear line illustrations, which, as in all the best illustrated kids' books, help immeasurably in expanding the reader's comprehension of the text. (Interestingly, although Uncle Harry and his crew can all drive, once out on the trail they carry guns too, just as their forebears did.) I first read this book more years ago "than I sometimes like to think about," to misquote the first Airport movie, and had the great good fortune to find a used copy sometime later, which has been one of the most prized volumes in my personal library ever since. Like most books of its time period, it may not be the easiest reading for the youngest kids, but even if you end up reading it aloud to yours, the artwork will help immeasurably in their appreciation of its information.

[Michael Loder · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have the original edition and every year or so, I re-read it to soak up all the information I know I will find there about everything cowboys from How cows get up differently from horses to why cattle are branded and how saddles are made. The plot is slight and the adventures simple, although it is nice to see both a boy and girl as equal protagonists.
The illustrations are not as plentiful and colorful as most of the later Holling books, but there are still some of every page.
This is a well-worth selection to give to any child who is interested in what and who cowboys were and, sometimes, still are.

[Al · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal book! Over sized children's book about cowboys and the history of the west. Great artwork, great historical information, great fictional storyline! I have the original 1936 edition and have read it a dozen times.

[David Bird · Rating 4 out of 5]

The framing narrative of this has not aged particularly well--I think it seemed old fashioned already in the 1970s--but the detail on the world of the old west, the quality of the illustrations, and its function as a platform for imagination remain strong.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story line and gives lots of good details of ranch life, with great illustrations.

[Luther Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last read July 27, 2014
First Read June 18, 2013

[Cws]

J636.7Hol