B is for Buckaroo

Until very recently, I hadn’t really paid close attention to Sleeping Bear Press titles. However, I’ve come to discover that they have some of the most interesting and unique children’s books out on the market. Dawn recently reviewed The Listeners which she loved and every title I’ve seen come through from Sleeping Bear Press, I have also loved.

I took a peek at B is for Buckaroo: A Cowboy Alphabet because I had to. I’m originally from Texas and my Texas nephew’s nickname is “Buckaroo.” This title was a MUST read. It begins in Andalusia, a Spanish land where ranching and cowboy culture began. I discovered that the name “Buckaroo” comes from the Spanish name for cowboy.

“B is for the Buckaroo,
who’s a cowboy through and through.
These broncobusters you’ll often see
riding on horseback, yelling “Whoopee!”

As usual, with Sleeping Bear Press alphabet-related books, you can read the basic rhyme that accompanies each letter if you are reading with a younger reader. Or, the book includes an average 2 additional paragraphs of information per letter. This particular book is perfect for anyone who loves the idea of cowboys, horses, cattle, cowboy hats, etc. This is a wild west lovin’ book to be sure, but it gives you some history and facts that you might not have previously been aware of.

Speaking of the Wild West, one character that I think of when I think of wild adventures is Teddy Roosevelt. And when I think of Teddy Roosevelt, I think of Teddy Bears. Sleeping Bear Press is probably most well-known for their alphabet series, however, they do publish other books, one of which is The Legend of the Teddy Bear. The book opens with an introduction to America and one of its great adventurers, Teddy Roosevelt. It talks about how he loved to go exploring in the Colorado Rockies and through wide-open spaces. We hear the story of how Roosevelt was out hunting with a group of men when they called him over to see a bear that they had caught and tied it up for him to shoot. Roosevelt rode up on his horse, saw the bear and told his men to let it go. A few days after this event, a young newspaper cartoonist named Clifford Berryman created a cartoon depicting the scene. The nation loved hearing about how their president let this bear go.

So who developed the teddy bear? Some candy shop owners by the name of Rose and Morris Michtom, who saw the cartoon in the newspaper. They thought children might like to own a soft, cuddly bear of their own. And so the teddy bear was born.

This is a fantastically illustrated and well-told story that explains the origin of the teddy bear. I absolutely hands down, thumbs up, three cheers and a big parade love it! If you haven’t seen it yet, try to find it and take some time to read it with your favorite child and their favorite bear. I can’t wait to enjoy this book several times over with my children as they grow up. Thanks, Sleeping Bear Press, for your devotion to good stories, good books and pleasant memories.

Carrie comes by her book obsession honestly, having descended from a long line of bibliophiles. She blogs about books regularly at Reading to Know and Reading My Library.