The Dirty Cowboy [Hardcover]

Amy Timberlake (Illustrator), Adam Rex (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

This ol’ boy needs a bath!

After he finds a tumbleweed in his chaps and the numerous bugs buzzing around him affect his hearing, the cowboy decides it’s time to head to the river. Once there, he peels off all his clothes and tells his trusty old dog to guard them against strangers. He takes a refreshing bath and emerges clean as corn – but so fresh-smelling that his dog doesn’t recognize him! Negotiations over the return of the clothes prove fruitless. A wrestling match ensues in a tale that grows taller by the sentence, climaxing in a fabric-speckled dust devil.

Amy Timberlake has inserted a Western twang into this tale of filth and friendship, and Adam Rex has found many creative means of bodily concealment in his expressive, comical paintings.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 4-After finding 32 fleas in his hair and tumbleweeds in his chaps, a freckle-faced cowboy decides that it's time for his annual bath. He mounts his horse, calls for his old dog, and heads for El Rio. There he disrobes and commands his companion to guard his duds. After frolicking merrily with a bar of soap (the amusing illustrations show many views of the naked cowboy bathing, while still keeping a G rating), he emerges thoroughly scrubbed and puckered "like a prickly pear." The dog does not detect his owner's familiar "wild boar-like smell" and stubbornly refuses to relinquish the garments. A dust-stirring brawl ensues that leaves the man as dirty as when he started, ultimately restoring his usual aroma. Unfortunately, the togs do not survive the tussle, and the cowboy heads for home, "bare as a shorn sheep." Told in descriptive language that rolls off the tongue, this story makes the most of a humorous situation. Filled with the dusty reds and sundown bronzes of the New Mexico setting, the paintings have a gritty, sinewy look that matches the earthy tone of the tale. Clever touches abound, as the artwork offers framed close-ups of the cowboy's uninvited vermin, a map of his route to the river, and whirling views of the wrestling match. The hangdog expression on the pooch's face when he realizes his mistake is priceless. A fun look at life on the range.
Joy Fleishhacker, formerly at School Library Journal
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

K-Gr. 2. A cowboy decides to take his yearly bath, so he heads to a nearby river, where he orders his scruffy dog to guard his clothes. When the cowboy returns from the river, he's so clean that the dog doesn't recognize him. The two get into an extended fracas, leaving the cowboy as filthy as ever and the clothes in tatters. Naked and dirty, the cowboy finally returns home, the dog trotting beside him. For some children, the appeal of this story is in the clever composition of the pictures that manages to conceal the cowboy's private bits. Rex's rich paintings add sparkle to the story's dramatic telling with the attention to detail and humor that may remind some grownups of Norman Rockwell's early work. A simple, slapstick tale that is sure to elicit some giggles. Todd Morning
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); 1st edition (August 8, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374317917
• ISBN-13: 978-0374317911
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 9.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #87,252 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dirty Cowboy - should be on every bookshelf!, September 25, 2003

By 

Foster Billingsley (Richmond, VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dirty Cowboy (Hardcover)

The Dirty cowboy is a family story that has been handed down to the author, Amy Timberlake. I found it to be well written and loaded with humor. It's evident that this story was written with love and respect for great story telling. It's hard to believe this is Ms. Timberlake's first published work.

The illustrator, Adam Rex has captured Ms. Timberlake's story with accuracy and humor. His illustrations remind me of the early artwork of Norman Rockwell.

This book is not only for the young but the young at heart. Even at the age of 39, this book is a must have on my book shelf!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Circular Story, September 10, 2003

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Dirty Cowboy (Hardcover)

This is a story that any little aspiring cowboy would love. It is cleverly written with higher level vocabulary for all readers. THis cowboy takes his yearly bath and gets so clean that his dog who was told to guard his clothes hardly recognizes him. Refusing to give the cowboy back his clothes, the dog starts a rough and tumble ruckus that ends up with a happy dog who finally gets his dirty, smelly cowboy back.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a hoot!, September 4, 2003

By 

Daniel D. Abbate (Arizona, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dirty Cowboy (Hardcover)

A humorous, well written book about a cowboy and his dog, and the pictures allow the story to come to life. We bought this book for our grandson, but have each already read it a couple of times. Since it's going to be a Christmas gift, we're hoping it doesn't show wear by the time we give it to him. What a combination Adam and Amy make! The art and writing work together as though one is watching a live presentation of the story. We hope to see more from these two, for childrens' enjoyment, as well as our own.