WHITE DYNAMITE & CURLY KIDD

You pass anxious moments when your father rides bulls in the rodeo, especially when he draws the likes of white Dynamite. Illustrator and authors collaborated on the spooky Ghost-eye Tree (1985), a story with a different look but the same shared tension and warm family feeling. Handsome, taciturn Curly readies himself for the ride, with young Lucky hovering around him, chattering nervously, watching from the sidelines in suspense, and finally rushing up to him after the ride (" 'You hear that, Dad? 97 points!. . .I guess that makes you the best.' '97 ain't perfect.' "). The text is wonderfully cadenced to reflect changes in the story's pace. Illustrations amplify the intensity: in the bull's muscular lines, in Curly's tight expression, in the relaxed but intent clowns and riders. The dust hazes over the backgrounds to focus attention on the faces of men, bull and child. A fine addition to any picture-book collection.