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Summary
Summary
From the day she was born, Hannah Mae O'Hannigan has dreamed of being the root-tootinest cowgirl ever. Too bad for Hannah Mae, she lives smack-dab in the middle of a city.But Hannah Mae's Uncle Coot lives way out West, and Hannah Mae is sure-as-sunshine determined to make it to his ranch. So with the help of her parents, Hannah Mae trains for the life of a rodeo star. She practices her horse ridin' with Sassafras -- a sweet pony from the pony-ride in the park. Her stuffed animals are perfect for ropin' practice, and she masters cow herdin' by rounding up a bunch of pet-store hamsters.Finally Hannah Mae is ready to lasso her destiny. But when she gets to Uncle Coot's ranch, she is given only ranch-hand chores. Thanks to a mysterious herd on the horizon, Hannah Mae learns that with some quick thinkin' and some sure ridin', she can be the cowgirl who saves the day (and the frontier)!
Author Notes
Lisa Campbell Ernst was born in Bartlesville, Oklahoma in 1957. She received a Bachelor's degree in art from the University of Oklahoma, and then won an internship as a guest editor for Mademoiselle Magazine in New York City. She has written and illustrated over twenty picture books including Stella Louella's Runaway Book, which won the Children's Choice Award in Kansas, and Sam Johnson and the Blue Ribbon Quilt.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 3-Hannah Mae never gives up on her dream of becoming a cowgirl, despite the fact that she lives in the city. Her roping skills are deftly honed by tying together drapery cords; her herding skills are carried out with a "herd" of hamsters. She's a cowpoke, through and through, and her talents come in mighty handy when she visits Uncle Coot, way out West. Although a bit long for storytimes, this delightful tale is sure to please wanna-be cowboys and girls. Ernst's art and the oversized format suggest the soft, muted tones and expansiveness of the prairie. Written with a subtle sense of irony, this blue-ribbon choice, so comically endearing, is irresistible. Yeehaw!-Andrea Tarr, Corona Public Library, CA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Packing a pencil and pastel inks, Ernst (Stella Louella's Runaway Book) rustles up a tale fit for any cowgirl-urban or otherwise. The heroine's debut is wryly understated-a pair of baby feet poke out from under the brim of a huge pink cowboy hat sent by "dear Uncle Coot from way out West." Ernst milks every drop of humor out of this situation comedy, as Hannah Mae evolves into a cowgirl wannabe with hopelessly urban parents who wear pearls and bow ties. But they support her passion, buying her a pony and hamsters so she can emulate "cow herdin' and general cattle care" to prepare her for Uncle Coot's ranch. Those skills prove handy when a boxcar out west spills hamsters that terrorize her uncle's cattle. Hannah Mae corrals the critters and launches a traveling hamster show. A winsome mix of wit and sympathy inspires such scenes as when Hannah, a small figure duded up in boots and hat, stares forlornly at the wall of skyscrapers outside her window. Judiciously used patois ("He's shakin' like the music-end of a rattler") brings zest to the text without overpowering it. So, too, with the mellow-toned palette that quietly anchors drawings so organically funny that simple inkstrokes turn a pack of rodents into hilariously mean-faced marauders. Ages 4-8. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
(Primary) Hannah Mae may be a city girl, but her first word was howdy, and she wears duds, not dresses. She is a cowgirl through and through. Her understanding parents round up a pony named Sassafras for her, and she practices roping skills on her stuffed animals and her cow care and herding skills on hamsters. Finally, she gets to visit dear old Uncle Coot out West--where, after a disappointing start, her hamster-herding abilities turn out to be just what's needed. Ernst tells the whole story with a cowgirl twang--cowboy Zeke isn't just scared, he's ""shakin' like the music-end of a rattler."" The pictures, in pastel ink and pencil, are in soft, sandy colors, with Hannah Mae's cowboy hat, boots, and jeans providing touches of pink and blue. Black outlines supply lots of expression in humans and hamsters alike. Altogether, a rootin'-tootin' picture book about living out your dream even when it seems downright ridiculous. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
A born cowgirl saves her uncle's ranch from an unusual menace in this cheery oater. Hannah Mae lives in the big city, but her heart's always been out on the prairie; her very first word was "Howdy," she can lasso all her toys with ease, and if she can't have cattle to tend, well, driving a herd of hamsters about the house is nearly as satisfying. That last skill comes in purty handy when Hannah Mae's indulgent parents send her out west. It seems that a whole shipment of hamsters has gotten free and turned feral, leaving even the most hard-bitten cowpoke shaking; happily, Hannah Mae knows just how to handle a wayward bunch of rambunctious rodents. From dusky rose Stetson to matching boots, Hannah Mae exudes both femininity and self-confidence, expertly rounding up the swarm of chubby hamsters in Ernst's characteristically waxy, pastel cartoons, then going on to glory on the rodeo circuit as the star of her own Wild West Hamster Show. Hannah Mae's exploit is sure to corral plenty of little dogies with their own dreams of saddling up. (Picture book. 6-8) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Gr. 1-2. Droll pastel, ink, and pencil artwork and Old West humor from the halcyon days of TV cowpokes are the hallmarks of this outlandish picture book. When Hannah Mae is born to her staid, city-slicker parents, her Uncle Coot from way out West sends her a peachy pink cowgirl hat. From her earliest years, Hannah Mae studies Cowpoke Monthly and rides her pony, Sassafras, in the park, and she practices herding and feeding (with hamsters, as there are no convenient cows in the city). When she and Sassafras take the train to Uncle Coot's ranch, Uncle puts Hannah Mae to work doing chores--but no herding just yet. Her expertise with hamsters eventually comes in handy in a most unexpected way, providing a career for herself and a new role for her family. Goofy cowboy lingo, pretty Popsicle colors, and animals and people with similar saucer-eyed expressions are pleasing elements that will help round up an audience. Great for reading aloud. --GraceAnne DeCandido Copyright 2003 Booklist