The toughest cowboy, or, how the Wild West was tamed, by John Frank and illustrated by Zachary Pullen

The toughest, roughest, stinkiest men in the west are hilariously domesticated when an unexpected addition to their group, a miniature poodle, comes to live with them. Despite their initial hard hearts, Foofy begins to work her magic with her surprising skill at ... well, that would be telling too much.

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The illustrations play a major role in this book chosen for the 2006-2007 Texas Bluebonnet reading list. The pictures show the rough and tough cowboy characters up close and picking-nose personal. The plot is made rich by Frank's descriptions and word-plays. The ending is particularly entertaining by the juxtaposition of Pullen's final picture and Frank's final line of the story creating a belly-laugh ending.

I have enjoyed sharing this book with 2nd to 4th graders who are able to listen and understand the wordplays that make the book such a rich reading experience.

Key words: cowboys, Wild West, life on the range