Meanwhile Back at the Ranch

This was my girl’s favorite book when they were small. Now we buy this for baby gifts.

I first saw this on "Reading Rainbow" years ago. It's one of my favorite children's books. I take this book with me when I substitute teach because it's usually not a book the kids have heard. They LOVE it! I do always have to explain what Cracker Jack is though!

I read this story several years ago, and it still makes me laugh when I think about it today. Any book that has such long-lasting ability to make somebody smile is well worth checking out. The last scene, when the rancher brings his wife a box of Crackerjack from the town and then what she finds inside is a perfect ending to a delightful story.

I love this book! It is a wonderful book of surprises. Even a college class enjoyed listening to it being read. The humor of what happens in the town and what happens at the ranch will be sure to capture the attention of many. Young and Old!

Meanwhile back at the Ranch offers a delightful opportunity for teachers to introduce the concept of parallel story plots. The story is about a rancher who visits a sleepy little town. Back at the ranch his wife is having an exciting time by winning freezers, receiving a winning lotto ticket, becoming a movie star, striking oil, and receiving a visit from the President. The story moves from town to ranch and back again with the transition phrase..."Meanwhile...back at the ___. This can be used in a story line where the students write about the principal or their teacher attending a conference or meeting while back at the school many things are happening. This book provides a springboard for writing that students find irresistable. Middle schoolers and high schoolers find the pattern of the book delightful to follow and often invent extremely humorous situations that happen back at school. For a great writing activity, introduce this book to your class.

This story is about a rancher and his wife. The rancher goes to the town of Sleepy Gulch while his wife stays home. The line "Meanwhile back..." occurs when going from the rancher to his wife. The wife is having exciting, fast paced adventures, while the rancher is having slow moving adventures. The book is very funny and enjoyable. It is a good read aloud for older children, ages 8 and up. Some of the humor is lost on smaller children.