Hank the Cowdog and Monkey Business #14 [Paperback]

John R. Erickson (Author), Gerald L. Holmes (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1998 | Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up | Series: Hank the Cowdog (Book 14)

Hank the cowdog, Head of Ranch Security, matches wits with an escaped circus monkey.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (August 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0141303905
• ISBN-13: 978-0141303901
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #869,482 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #52 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Popular Characters > Book Characters > Hank the Cowdog

More About the Author

John R. Erickson, a former cowboy and ranch manager, is gifted with a storyteller's knack for spinning a yarn. Through the eyes of Hank the Cowdog, a smelly, smart-aleck Head of Ranch Security, Erickson gives readers a glimpse of daily life on a ranch in the West Texas Panhandle. This series of books and tapes is in school libraries across the country, has sold more than 7.6 million copies, is a Book-of-the-Month Club selection, and is the winner of the 1993 Audie for Outstanding Children's Series from the Audio Publisher's Association. Publishers Weekly calls Hank a "grassroots publishing phenomena," and USA Today says this is "the best family entertainment in years."

The road to stardom for Hank, however, wasn't all dog biscuits and gravy. Erickson graduated from the University of Texas in 1966 and studied for two years at Harvard Divinity School. He began to publish short stories in 1967 while working full-time as a cowboy, farmhand, and ranch manager in Texas and Oklahoma. Hank and his sidekick Drover are dogs Erickson worked with on the range. This mixture of true-life experience, fun, and adventure has gained Hank a loyal following of thousands of children and adults.

In 1982, however, Erickson was at his rope's end. "I was working out in the cold; there was 8 inches of snow on the ground," he says, "I had just gotten a couple of rejection slips from New York publishers, and I had a wife with two kids and another one on the way." So, with $2,000 in borrowed money, Erickson started his own publishing company, appropriately named Maverick Books.

Hank the Cowdog made his debut in the pages of The Cattleman, a magazine for adults. An obvious favorite of readers, Erickson included two of Hank's humorous stories in Maverick Book's first publishing effort, The Devil in Texas (1982). Erickson began selling books from his pickup truck at cattle auctions, rodeos, and just about any place cowboys gathered.

When Erickson started getting "Dear Hank" letters, he knew he was onto something. So in 1983, he self-published 2,000 copies of The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog, and they sold out in 6 weeks. Not long after that first printing, the book was recorded word-for-word on audiotape. Since then, every Hank book has been recorded, making Hank the longest-running successful children's series on audio, ever. (Source: Billboard)

When teachers began inviting Erickson to their schools, Hank found his most eager fans. Teachers, librarians, and students alike love Hank. According to some Texas Library Association surveys, the Hank the Cowdog books are the most popular selections in many libraries' children's sections. The lively characters make excellent material for reading and writing lessons, and turn even the most reluctant readers into avid Hank-fans. When used with the books, Hank tapes increase reading skills rapidly. And, in response to popular demand from the growing bilingual market, the first two Hank the Cowdog adventures are available in Spanish.

Although the Hank books began as a regional phenomenon, CBS Television heard about them and brought out a thirty-minute cartoon of the first book. It aired in May 1985 as part of a series called "CBS Storybreak."

Erickson has also written several books for young adults, the "Riley McDaniels Series". The first book of the series, "Moonshiner's Gold", won the 2003-2004 Lamplighter Award. The second book in the series, "Discovery at Flint Springs," was a finalist for the Lamplighter Award the following year. He has also written several books about cowboying based on his own experiences.

Erickson was born in Midland, Texas, but by the age of 3, he had moved with his family to Perryton, Texas, where he and his wife live today on their working cattle ranch. They have 3 grown children and 4 grandchildren. His advice to young writers is, "Write about something you know. Try to leave your readers better off than they were before."

For more information about John R. Erickson and the Hank the Cowdog books, please visit www.hankthecowdog.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars funny, May 16, 2011

By 

deerhunter - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hank the Cowdog and Monkey Business #14 (Paperback)

This book is hilarious! Read it together as a family and my 2 sons, 9 & 12, were rolling on the floor laughing!

5.0 out of 5 stars Gift, December 31, 2010

By 

Coral Daniel - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hank the Cowdog and Monkey Business (Audio CD)

Hank stories are fascinating for children good old fashion good over evil manners over rudeness all round a fun series

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hank The Cow Dog and Monkey Business, May 7, 2002

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Hank the Cowdog and Monkey Business #14 (Paperback)

Hank is a cow dog that lives on a ranchand one day there was a funny looking truck that went by the ranch. Hank as head of sucurity at the ranch went to investigate. There was a monkey in the truck. The truck hit the cattlep- guard and the monkey flew out the back of the truck. Hank had to find a way to get rid of the monkey.