Author Ellie Crowe packs a great deal of information about Hawaiian cowboys into her gracefully written story set in Waimea on the Big Island.
Little Mika dons his knee-high boots, star-studded chaps and a cowboy hat adorned with flowers and sets off for the rodeo. Along the way, he discovers a homeless puppy, a lost lamb and a stray calf. Mika brings the three animals with him to Parker Ranch in hopes of finding their mothers. The excitement begins the moment they arrive at the big event:
"Suddenly there’s a loud, clomping sound. A terrifying, roaring sound. A wild, galloping, snorting sound. A big bull is running across the fields - and he is running right at them. He has a crazy look in his eyes, and his long horns are pointed at the red hibiscus on Mika’s hat."
Armed with his rawhide lasso, Mika leaps into action to save the day. The puppy, lamb and calf are safe and sound by the story’s satisfying close, but not before a few surprising plot twists and turns.
Kamille’s full-color photographs of angelic toddlers are irresistible. Author Ellie Crowe says capturing the images was entertaining. "We had three toddlers, six parents, a puppy, a lamb, a calf, three ponies, six curious horses, various visiting mongrels and creeping vog" at the photo shoot, she recalled.
A solid bibliography and an overview of the history of Hawaiian cowboys is included.
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