Tickled to find Hank!

When I was teaching in the public school system, I knew Hank by name only. While I knew students headed for his tales of canine heroics and hijinks, I never actually read them myself. Until now. As a member of the TOS Crew, my own crew and I have had the pleasure to review my first Hank the Cowdog selection, Hank the Cowdog: The Case of the One-Eyed Killer Stud Horse, as well as the "Tales and Tunes from Hank the Cowdog" cd and the Tornado board game.

As the kids and I read, I noticed how John Erickson skillfully wove the language of ranch life into the story in a way that the kids could visualize and understand. And he knows of what he speaks, having spent years as a "real" cowboy. He also manages to sneak in some vocabulary enrichment in a way that doesn't arouse the kids' suspicions that this might be more than just for fun. Basically, they laughed even when they didn't fully understand what they were laughing at, and I got tickled at the dilemmas that Hank's ego led Drover and him into. And, as a parent, I could so identify with the frustrations and mishaps of poor Sallie May. For us, this was a easy, fun rainy day read. While my second grader stumbled over a few words, it was just right for a shared reading experience.

While we thoroughly enjoyed Hank the Cowdog: The Case of the One-Eyed Killer Stud Horse, I do want to mention that poor Hank has to endure some non-life-threatening abuse at the hands of his exasperated owner, somethink akin to the shenanigans of the Looney Toons characters. For us, this did not take away from our enjoyment of the book, but it is important to make sure that the readers or, if it's read aloud, the audience, understand that it is not appropriate or safe or kind to treat pets in this way. There was also a reference to Doggie Hell as, at one point, Hank is not sure about his eternal destination based on his past. I have chosen to stop at this point as we read, for discussion before we proceed. That's just me, but I always want to keep in mind the impressionable nature of my audience.

Who is this book appropriate for? I would say ages 12 and under are the ones who will enjoy it the most and appreciate the humor, as well as parents of this age bracket. It easily lends itself to shared reading for younger readers, but I would say third grade and up should be able to read it independently. I checked, and many of the Hank the Cowdog books are in the Accelerated Reader system, too.

We also have had the chance to listen to the cd "Tales and Tunes from Hank the Cowdog", and it really brings Hank and Drover to life as the listeners hear snippets and songs from a large selection of the Hank the Cowdog books. I was surprised at how long this cd is. Our kids have been battling an awful bug this week, and they enjoyed the Hank cd as they rested. As we take off for vacation soon, Hank will be among our travel cds. Hey, if you order through Hank's website, you can purchase this cd for only $3.

Now, the Tornado game is a blast, in my opinion. Four of us played, from ages 3 up to 34, the first time, and in the past few days, all five of us have at one time or another. In fact, I'm not ashamed to admit my husband and I aren't above a game of Tornado just between the two of us. The instructions, while a little bit involved, are easy to understand and manage to pack together a load of skills for the elementary ages. Some of the skills I noted as we've played are:

• recognizing even/odd amounts


• making predictions


• following multiple directions


• counting


• multi-tasking


• interpersonal skills, such as taking turns, handling setbacks, and being good sports

The gameboard is small enough to easily pack for traveling, and the pieces are sturdy plastic, unlike many of the flimsy cardboard pieces we get in so many games now. When the game is done, all the pieces easily fit inside the gameboard, which folds up and securely closes. My husband and I both were impressed with the quality of the gameboard and its components. As long as we can manage to keep up with all the Hanks, Drovers, and Buzzards, I can see this one lasting a long time. One more thing....it comes with a cassette tape of excerpts from the corresponding book, free!

Hank is more than your average ranch dog.....he's got quite a website as well! http://www.hankthecowdog.com/ is the entrance to the world of Hank, with links to games, character information, Hank the Cowdog products you can purchase, a visitor guestbook, author information and touring schedule, and much more!

Now that our family has gotten to know Hank the Cowdog, I'm pretty sure we wouldn't want him for our "Head of Ranch Security", but he's a great addition to our family library and game box! You can check out more about the Hank the Cowdog series of books and products at http://www.hankthecowdog.com/ and in the reviews of other TOS Crew members here.