Horn Book Review
Notorious outlaw Dirk Yeller strikes fear in the hearts of the townsfolk when he arrives demanding something to "'take away my cat scratch fever!' His fingers were a-itchin' and a-twitchin'." No one can help, until young Sam, who gets fidgety too, steps up and leads him to the library. Spirited illustrations extend this rollicking Old-West-with-a-twist story. (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
In this Wild West yarn, young Sam manages to tame a notorious outlaw by introducing him to the pleasures found in books. Whe. extremely dangerou. and all-around bad guy Dirk Yeller shows up in town searching for something to calm hi. a-itchin' and a-twitchin. fingers, the frightened townsfolk refer him from one establishment to the next in order to deflect his attention. Finally, Sam leads Dirk to the new library, where the lovely Miss Jenny ( sweet as pecan pie ) has just the solution. At closing time, Dirk happily departs with his saddlebags stuffed with books, promising to return for more books, and the townspeople rejoice. Through close-ups and varying perspectives, the softly colored cartoonish illustrations perfectly convey the action of the characters portrayed in the brief text. Pair with other library stories, such as Suzanne Williams' Library Lil (1997) or Michelle Knudsen's Library Lion (2006).--Enos, Randal. Copyright 2010 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-A small Western town quakes in terror at the arrival of the notorious outlaw, Dirk Yeller. Unable to fulfill his demands, adults frantically refer him to someone else, until young Sam finds a solution to Yeller's difficulties. The child understands about being fidgety and jumpy because he often feels that way himself. He asks Yeller, "If I can show you how to stop your itchin' and twitchin' and your jumpin' and rattlin'-will you promise to leave our town in peace?" Suspiciously, Yeller agrees. The solution lies at the public library, where librarian Miss Jennie finds just the right book to sooth Yeller's restless nature. Terrific watercolor and pen and ink illustrations provide plenty of visual humor. Sure to be hit at storytime, this Wild West tale will keep children laughing as it delivers its message about the power of books.-Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
(Picture book. 4-8)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
