Harrison,
David L. Cowboys. Boyd's Mills/Word Song
unp $17.95 978-1-59078-877-6 VG-BN
Poetry
In Cowboys, poet David Harrison
and illustrator Dan Burr team up for the second time to create a companion
piece to Pirates. Cowboys is a collection
of 22 free-verse poems that brings the gritty experience of herding longhorns
on the Chisholm Trail to life. Cowboys
drove cattle over the 1000-mile Chisholm Trail from Texas to Abilene, Kansas, for several decades,
before the railroads, refrigeration, and increased numbers of settlers made this
method of getting steers to market obsolete. The slim volume presents a
fascinating first-person narrative about the hard life cowboys faced on the
open trail. Each poem offers a
brief glimpse, often poignant or humorous, into a bygone era.
Burr’s compelling artwork encourages
readers to pore over the illustrations’ nearly photographic details. Grizzly bears,
bunkhouses, dusty cattle, freezing rain, and rattlesnakes populate the pages.
Portraits of the leather-skinned, weathered characters (as well as a few bargirls and a
feisty cowgirl) will satisfy those who dream of the romantic, Wild West. While stereotypes
persist throughout the book, would-be wranglers will be pleased with it anyway.
“I loved the chance to write about
decent people doing a dangerous job,” states Harrison in a recent interview
(http://poetryforchildren.blogspot.com...). Saddle up for some fine
storytelling. --Hilary Welliver
No comments:
Post a Comment