A review by carolsaller
Cowboy Up!: Ride the Navajo Rodeo by Jan Sonnemair, Nancy Bo Flood

5.0

This is a great book on so many levels. First, it includes a thorough nonfiction treatment of the rodeo with details that both kids and adults will find fascinating, taking us through the traditional events like barrel racing, calf roping, bareback and bronc riding, and steer wrestling. But in addition, the author weaves in poems in the voices of child rodeo participants, showing us their excitement, frustration, fear, dedication, and triumph as they learn to rope and ride. I didn't even know that such young children participated in rodeo events. COWBOY UP! is a good book for reading aloud to very young children: depending on their age you can focus on the more simple poem-statements and/or read the extended explanations. The photos are amazing. The text and photos combined leave you wanting to attend a rodeo yourself.