ALA Booklist (Tue Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2005)

Set on a cattle ranch, this warm, beginning chapter book tells four spirited stories about young cowgirl Kate and her beloved talking horse, Cocoa. Young children will see themselves in both characters. In several episodes, for example, Cocoa puts off cow herding and even bedtime by employing a preschooler's procrastination techniques, such as asking for food and for water. Children will also recognize the friends' good-natured banter and lively dialogue as they negotiate their days together, in the barn and on the range. Lewin's bold-lined illustrations extend the comedy and the affectionate friendship with expressive animal characters reminiscent of her work in the Caldecott Honor Book Click Clack Moo: Cows That Type (2000). A fine choice for reading aloud to small groups or for confident new readers to tackle on their own.

Horn Book (Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2005)

Readers moving on from the Henry and Mudge series will be able to read these simple chapters, but they are apt to be disappointed. In the slight depiction of a friendship, Kate and her horse talk to each other as Kate tries to coax Cocoa into behaving the way a cowhorse should. Lewin's cheery watercolors are the strong point here.

Kirkus Reviews

Kate is a confident and resourceful little girl with her own talking horse in this easy reader written at the fluency level for children who are reading on their own but not quite ready for longer fiction. The text is divided into four short chapters that describe some small incidents in their entwined lives: Kate acquiring Cocoa; the horse reacting to the surprise gift of a straw hat; their joint effort at counting cows; and an evening together in the barn. Cocoa is a distinct personality who demands lots of food and attention from Kate, but they also swap roles as caretaker when Cocoa worries about Kate's tree-climbing or sings her a lullaby when she's nervous about sleeping in the barn. Lewin's loose watercolor illustrations are just as appealing and funny as those in her other farmyard stories, with the cows taking a back seat this time. The humorous text, warm friendship between horse and owner and captivating illustrations add up to a cowgirl and "cowhorse" with enough star power to ride the range together in subsequent sequels. (Easy reader. 6-9)

School Library Journal

K-Gr 2-Kate is a "cowgirl from the boots up," and Cocoa is her loquacious and irascible equine companion. Together they share four amiable adventures in this easy chapter book. Beginning readers learn how the cowhorse was acquired and, in the process, discover that Kate is subtly clever and Cocoa is a bit of a slacker. The stories that follow include a disappointingly inedible surprise for the horse, a test of wills and devotion while cowherding, and a sleepover in the barn that dexterously reveals their mutual affection. Simple sentences and lots of repetition make these tales accessible, while occasional cowpoke vocabulary establishes the locale. Both horse and girl have well-developed personalities that weather the ups and downs of friendship. While the narrative is somewhat lacking in excitement, the genial humor and feisty horse have child appeal. Strong black lines lend rustic solidity to the watercolor illustrations that are generously distributed throughout the text. With additional adventures in the works, this affable duo augments Cynthia Rylant's popular people-and-their-pets pairings (Henry and Mudge, Mr. Putter and Tabby) and welcomes new readers to their home on the range.-Carol Ann Wilson, formerly at Westfield Memorial Library, NJ Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.