Buster Mesquite's Cowboy Band
Book Review:
Buster the burro has lost his job finding wood for the "Woodcutter"
and decides to turn this opportunity into the job he's always wanted:
being in a band! He takes his only possession, a guitar, and sets off
on a journey through the Southwest desert in search of bandmates. He
comes across Moondawgie the coyote guitar player, Kitty the wildcat
fiddler, and Hank the crow singer. Together they form a band and practice
their hearts out because they feel that is the only way to be great.
Through their travels, they come across an old house and inside they
find what they think is the perfect audience, but turns out to be thieves!
Buster and his band of cowboys decide to sing to them, which drives
even the scariest of thieves away. As a result, the band decides to
open up Honky Tonk Hank's Hideout in the old house. Everybody comes
to see them, and the band realizes you don't have to be the best to
be great.
This book has great characters, humor, and heart. Presenting children
with the idea to do what you love and by following this mantra you can
accomplish great things is a wonderful lesson. Hillerman includes jokes
even children will appreciate by describing the thieves as bad for not
brushing their teeth or eating their green veggies. Hillerman also demonstrates
that they are reformed thieves in the end, as two of the thieves get
jobs and the other starts to eat his veggies.
Ernest Franklin's illustrations are very imaginative and really capture
the essence of the Southwest. The light and shadows of the mesas and
cacti are unique and encapsulate all of the wonderful colors of the
desert environment. All of the characters are drawn in a wacky way and
many scenes offer animated-like qualities. Recommended for children
aged 4-7, this book offers the value of friendship and fun.
About the Book | Book
Review | Children's Voices | About
the Reviewer