Synopsis
For his birthday, Roy's freinds give him a saddle and some very specific instructions:
1. Find a horse.
2. Enjoy the ride!
But there's a problem; Roy doesn't know what a horse IS! So he sets off to find out with hilarious results: A snake tells him to look for a creature with legs. A crab has six legs, but he's too unfriendly to be a horse. A chameleon smiles at Roy, but horses don't change color... What's a horseless cowboy to do?
Children's Literature
Cowboy Roy receives a saddle for his birthday, but he has a problem. He does not know what a horse is. His friends send him out to find one. Roy is a grown man dressed in the paraphernalia of a cowboy wandering about on foot carrying a saddle. The premise that he has never seen a horse is extremely farfetched. Each object or animal that Roy approaches gives him a hint about horse characteristics. The wagon tells him the horse is a living thing. The cactus reports that it is an animal. Other hints are provided by a snake, a crab, a chameleon, an owl, a pig, a sloth, a lion, and a zebra. That all these things are within walking distance of each other contributes to the absurdity of the story. The large, brightly colored illustrations feature a clueless cowboy talking to animals who exhibit more personality than he does. Young children might like listening to the story and knowing that they are in on the joke, but even the youngest will likely think that last illustration is just too ridiculous for words. Reviewer: Phyllis Kennemer, Ph.D.