A Cowboy Named Ernestine

Along with Patricia Polacco and Rosemary Wells, Nicole Rubin is one of my favorite author/illustrators of children's books. Although perhaps not as well known as Polacco and Wells, Rubin earned acclaim for her very popular "Rotten Ralph" books (a deliciously riotous series she co-created with Jack Gantos), the clever "Cyrano the Bear," and many others. This book, "A Cowboy Named Ernestine," is a wonderful showcase for Ms. Rubel's prodigious narrative and illustration talents. It starts off grandly: The story begins against a glorious two-page spread with a gold-tinged sky, showing Ernestine, dressed in beautiful shades of blue, arriving on astagecoach: "Ernestine O'Reilly, with hair as red and wild as campfire flames, came all the way from County Clare, Ireland to Lizard Lick, Texas, as a mail-order bride." The rest of the book has more cowboy colloquialisms and similes: "A figure like a tumbleweed on stilts shambled up. There wasn't a single hair on his head, but below his nose was nothing but hair, making a mighty effort to reach his knees." The pictures are drawn with ink and colored markers, but look rich enough to resemble gouache or acrylic. The bold foreground characters will keep younger audiences interested, while the detailed, idiosyncratic backgrounds will capture the attention of older kids (Ms. Rubel hints that there is at least one small armadillo on every page). The story is sort of a twist on "Cinderella" and "Some Like it Hot," as Ernestine escapes the impending marriage by running away dressed in men's clothes. She hooks up with some real cowboys, and tries to escape discovery. One way she does this is by concocting a tall tale, "Turtle Soup," about a cowboy who "decided to round up all the turtles in Texas and sell them in El Paso for a fortune." There are other surprises in this rewarding book, and Rubel deserves high recognition for her work here. "A Cowboy Named Ernestine" is an immensely enjoyable book that succeeds on all levels. It has colorful characters, consistently funny and inventive dialogue, beautiful pictures done in the "Rubelesque" manner, and a big-hearted finish. Very highly recommended!

Poor Ernestine! She comes all the way from County Clare, Ireland to be a mail-order bride in Lizard Lick, Texas, only to find that her bridegroom--who bears the wonderful name of Virgil Beetle--is a tobacco-chewing cad who lives with his awful family and who doesn't give a hoot what she thinks or feels. After biding her time with the Beetles until a preacher can be found, Ernestine boldly decides to make a quick getaway disguised as a cowboy. She meets up with the cowboy Texas Teeth and they have some adventures together herding cattle before eventually falling in love. Although the illustrations are colorful, they verge on amateurishness. But the story is well told, and author/illustrator Nicole Rubel has obvious affection for her subject, and that makes all the difference. Lots of fun for any little kid who's ever pretended to be a cattle-herdin' cowgirl or cowboy.