Jess and the Stinky Cowboys (Easy-to-Read, Dial) - Hardcover

Gr. 1-2. When Snake Gulf's sheriff is away, it falls to his daughter, Deputy Jess, to protect the town from bad guys. As it turns out, her authority also extends to bad-smelling guys--like the four reeking cowboys who arrive and blanket the town in a putrid haze. How will Jess force them into compliance with the town's No-Stink Law? Kids will giggle over her misfires and cheer her eventual triumph, even as they sympathize with the offenders' mantra, "No baths today! No baths tomorrow! No baths ever!" Beginning readers may need help with some of the trickier Wild West vocabulary, but they'll enjoy Smith's colorful prose (the stench is like "a cowpie in July") and her use of every possible variation on the word stink. To further extend the humor, Thiesing's watercolors cast dogs in all the roles--which, considering canines' sensitive sniffers and odiferous tendencies, makes perfect, silly sense. An on-target addition to the Dial Easy-to-Read series. Jennifer Mattson
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Kindergarten-Grade 3--Deputy Jess and her Aunt Gussy, two dogs dressed in western garb, are doing a fine job taking care of the town of Snake Gulch while Jess's dad, the sheriff, is away. They have stopped bank robbers, a cattle stampede, and even a group of rowdy students at a spelling bee. However, they meet their match when a gang of foul-smelling cowboys arrives. Although they have an odor so strong that even the stinkbugs leave, the rustlers refuse to take a bath. Jess and the rest of the townspeople try numerous silly ways to rid Snake Gulch of its stink, finally coming up with a satisfying solution. This delightful beginning reader is filled with repetition and humor. Watercolor illustrations depicting dirty dogs in cowboy clothing with a brown cloud hovering above add to the enjoyment. Pair this with Amy Timberlake's The Dirty Cowboy (Farrar, 2003) for some good clean fun.--Anne Knickerbocker, formerly at Cedar Brook Elementary School, Houston, TX
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