Little Old Big Beard and Big Young Little Beard: A Short and Tall Tale [Paperback]

Remy Charlip (Author, Illustrator), Tamara Rettenmund (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up

Little Old Big Beard And Big Young Little Beard is a Marshall Cavendish publication.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-With a goofy exuberance, Charlip relates the tale of two cowboys who, after a slow and tongue-twisty introduction, lose their cow, Grace. Since everyone knows you can't be a cowboy without a cow, they leap into action, searching for their bovine companion up and down and around and around until she finally finds them. The buckaroos croon a hilarious takeoff on the hymn "Amazing Grace" to cap their adventures. Told with a storyteller's ear for repetition and alliteration, the story begs for listeners to provide punch lines and chant along with the narration. The almost childlike watercolor illustrations feature simple lines and curves and warm, rich tones. Written simply enough for children to read independently (although all text is capitalized), the book will also find a ready audience in storytimes and one-on-one sharing.
Marge Loch-Wouters, Menasha's Public Library, WI
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

PreS. Big and Little refers to the length of the men's beards in this delightfully droll tall tale of two cowboys out West. Big Beard is very old and small, with a long white beard. Little Beard is tall and young and has just a few hairs sprouting on his chin. Best friends, they are blissful near their campfire under the stars. Then their cow, Grace, disappears. They search and search for her, riding their horses in circles down one hill and in zigzags up another. They nearly drown in their puddles of tears--until they hear a loud "mooo," and amazing Grace finds them. Small children will love the simple cowboy adventure as much as the wordplay with big and small, and the clear, expressive line-and-watercolor illustrations avoid the slapstick busyness and violence of many tall-tale picture books. Showing the cowboys' bonds with one another and with the animals they love, this is a view of a Wild West that is cozy and exciting, gentle and strong. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Marshall Cavendish Children's Books (March 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761452885
• ISBN-13: 978-0761452881
• Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 7.6 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #717,289 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars our favorite book of all time, March 8, 2005

By 

C. Edwards (portland, me) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Little Old Big Beard and Big Young Little Beard: A Short and Tall Tale (Hardcover)

this story is wonderful and so are remy charlip's warm illustrations. it's nice to read a book about cowboys where the cowboys are really nice guys and good friends and cry when they lose their beloved cow, grace. so sweet, especially the very last page where charlip has re-worded the song amazing grace to sing about grace the cow.

5.0 out of 5 stars Little Old Big Beard and Big Young Little Beard: A Short and Tall Tale, June 30, 2011

By 

R. Campbell - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Little Old Big Beard and Big Young Little Beard: A Short and Tall Tale (Hardcover)

"Little Old Big Beard and Big Young Little Beard: A Short and Tall Tale" is written by Remy Charlip, one of my favorite authors of children's books. The story is silly and the drawings are fun, making this an appealing book for kids ages 3 to 6. It's a shame the book is no longer in print! If you are fortunate enough to find a copy somewhere, by all means add it to your collection!

5.0 out of 5 stars Hysterically funny, March 18, 2010

By 

Gentle Reader (Oakland, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Little Old Big Beard and Big Young Little Beard: A Short and Tall Tale (Paperback)

This is my favorite read-aloud book of all time. It's got a kind of rollicking rhythm, it's just absurd enough, and it just gives you two cowboys who love each other and a cow, no questions asked. A keeper for sure.