Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa

My 5-yo daughter was on the cusp of learning to read. She knew all the sounds, the basics of the how, but lacked the drive to push her over the edge. Enter Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa. Exactly what was needed for a little girl who has dreamed of her own horse for 3 years!!!! We started slow, she would read a page, I would read a page. Eventually she was able to get through a whole page without help. And she is now reading other books as well. These are not the "easy readers" - there are some challenging words, some cowgirl-specific vocabulary. But it was the RIGHT motivation for my little cowgirl. And that is what is important!

Was recieved in alloted time and in the condition it was described.

This title is a Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor book. Cowgirl Kate and her horse Cocoa understand each other perfectly. Sometimes Cocoa does not want to work and Kate knows just what to say to get him moving. When she cannot count all the cattle,Cocoa helps her. Cocoa is always hungry and Kate works hard to take care of him. When she can't sleep, he sings her a lullabye. "Will you fluff my straw?" Cocoa asked. Cowgirl Kate sighed. "I am very tired," she said. But she climbed out of her sleeping bag and fluffed his straw. Then she crawled back into her sleeping bag. "I am hungry," said Cocoa Cowgirl Kate sighed. You are always hungry," she said. But she climbed out of her sleeping bag andgave him three carrots. Then she crawled back into her sleeping bag. "Uh-oh! My water bin is low," said Cocoa. Cowgirl Kate groaned. "Why didn't you tell me that before?" "I didn't think of it before, " said Cocoa. "First I was thinking about straw. Then I was thinking about food. Now I am thinking about water." "You are doing too much thinking," said Cowboy Kate. Lewin's paintings are comical and expressive. Kate and Cocoa's expressions are priceless as they stare at each other during this exchange.

The sprightly Cowgirl Kate is a girl with a love of the ranch she lives on and her horse, Cocoa. Cocoa has a sense of humor when it comes to Kate, a frisky challenger in these short chapter stories for young readers who love adventure and horses in particular. Cocoa shows his mettle and his stubbornness, but with an endearing personality that makes Cowgirl Kate smile every time. Part pal, part pet, Cocoa is always hungry, demanding apples and stories from Kate, but doing her bidding in the end, Kate cleverly handling the horse with a bit of outrageous creativity. In one story, Cowgirl Kate offers Cocoa a surprise after he eats his morning oats. Too curious to bother with his boring breakfast, Cocoa rips open Kate's present and begins chewing it vigorously. Unfortunately, the present doesn't taste so good. Of course not; it is a straw hat, now all chewed up, with three holes instead of two for Cocoa's ears. The joke is on Cocoa, who learns a lesson about patience. In "Bedtime in the Barn", Cowgirl Kate takes her sleeping bag to the barn overnight, prepared to stay with Cocoa. Kate is awakened by Cocoa's incessant demands, "fluff my straw", "I'm hungry", "my water is low". Later, frightened by an owl, Kate curls up next to her horse. The charming paintings by Betsy Lewin are complement the marriage of little girl and her fanciful horse, happy adventures for young readers. Luan Gaines/2006. The sprightly Cowgirl Kate is a girl with a love of the ranch she lives on and her horse, Cocoa. Cocoa has a sense of humor when it comes to Kate, a frisky challenger in these short chapter stories for young readers who love adventure and horses in particular. Cocoa shows his mettle and his stubbornness, but with an endearing personality that makes Cowgirl Kate smile every time. Part pal, part pet, Cocoa is always hungry, demanding apples and stories from Kate, but doing her bidding in the end, Kate cleverly handling the horse with a bit of outrageous creativity. In one story, Cowgirl Kate offers Cocoa a surprise after he eats his morning oats. Too curious to bother with his boring breakfast, Cocoa rips open Kate's present and begins chewing it vigorously. Unfortunately, the present doesn't taste so good. Of course not; it is a straw hat, now all chewed up, with three holes instead of two for Cocoa's ears. The joke is on Cocoa, who learns a lesson about patience. In "Bedtime in the Barn", Cowgirl Kate takes her sleeping bag to the barn overnight, prepared to stay with Cocoa. Kate is awakened by Cocoa's incessant demands, "fluff my straw", "I'm hungry", "my water is low". Later, frightened by an owl, Kate curls up next to her horse. The charming paintings by Betsy Lewin are complement the marriage of little girl and her fanciful horse, happy adventures for young readers. Luan Gaines/2006.

This is an excellent book for early readers. My 6 year old kindergarten granddaughter is excited about being able to read Chapter books now, and she loved Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa. The colorful illustrations helped her as she sounded out the few words she did not already know.