Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa: Partners

Silverman, Erica. Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa: Partners. Illustrated by Betsy Lewin. Harcourt, Inc., 2006. 43 pages. $5.95. ISBN 9780152021252.

Summary:

In the sequel to Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa (2005), readers will enjoy the continuation of the small cowgirl and her horse. There are four chapters in this early reader that feature a mix of real ranch chores and activities, such as the visit from the farrier (Cocoa wants cowboy boots, not horseshoes), and the search for a missing calf that turns into a game of hide-and-seek. The illustrations are lively and fun, a nice complement to the tone of the text.

Curriculum Connections:

This text features some engaging vocabulary words such as “nuzzled, munching, twirled, and pranced,” also noted by the review in Kirkus Reviews (March 15, 2006). This could be a good mentor text to teach word choice.

Personal Reflections:

Cowgirl Kate is a terrific girl heroine for horse-crazy readers. She takes initiative, works hard, and takes good care of her horse and friend, Cocoa. Readers will appreciate the humor that comes out, as when Cocoa asks for a pizza and not an apple, in exchange for pretending to be a cow, so Kate can practice her roping skills.

Awards:

The premier episode in the series, Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa (2005), won a Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book in 2006 and was an ALA Notable Children’s Book for Younger Readers, 2006.

Age/Interest Range:

K-8

Genre/Themes:

Friendship, Animals, Humor, Early Reader

Read-Alikes:

This series strikes a similar tone to familiar early readers like Frog and Toad (Lobel) and Owl at Home (Lobel): gentle humor and stories of friendship.