Sauer's Cowboy Camp is a simple, clever tale that promises to be a crowd-pleaser. Avery takes one look at his fellow campers and knows that he doesn't really fit in. He can't stomach cowboy food. His lasso gives him rope burn. And because he's allergic to horses, he's forced to saddle up a cow. Sitting alone before the campfire at night, Avery is confronted by Black Bart, a desperado who threatens to put an end to Cowboy Camp forever. Only someone with Avery's special attributes could convince such a villain that this couldn't possibly be Cowboy Camp. In Avery, Sauer creates an unlikely yet likable hero. Reed's expressive paintings, stretching across double-page spreads, include both broadly comic and unambiguously melodramatic scenes, all carried off with a sure hand. The Black Bart scenes are particularly effective--from the sight of his craggy profile to his ride off into the sunrise.

Avery goes to cowboy camp to learn to eat beans, ride horses, and twirl lassos, only to realize he's not cut out for any of that. Still, he does save the day by fooling the villainous Black Bart with a convincing tale. Whimsical cartoon illustrations hold the eyes, making the book an enjoyable read despite its flat narrative.

K-Gr 2 Young Avery arrives at Cowboy Camp feeling self-conscious and inept. He is allergic to horses and beans, he cant twirl a lasso, and his name is all wrong. In the end, though, its Avery who outsmarts Mean Black Bart during a midnight confrontation and becomes a hero. The text is concise, and the print is large and bold. The illustrations are funny and colorful, particularly the scene in which Avery spits out a mouthful of beans. The adult characters have exaggerated features, particularly the villain, who has a scary chin and a nose to rival that of any witch. This book will be appreciated by any child who has shared Averys concerns about not fitting in with a group. Polly L. Kotarba, Gordon Elementary School Library, Bellaire, TX