TENTH AVENUE COWBOY

Set in 1910, this urban reverie will resonate with contemporary readers. When Ben moves with his family from a ranch in the West to New York City, he finds himself desperately lonely. He mourns the loss of his beloved plains and his dreams of becoming a cowboy. Until, that is, he hears about the Tenth Avenue Cowboys, city cowboys who ride through the streets warning citizens of approaching trains. Allowed to ride with one of the cowboys, Ben is back in his element. He still misses the plains, but he rediscovers enough of what he loves to enable him to reclaim his dreams and make peace with his new home. Farnsworth’s muted oil paintings bestow a dreamy, nostalgic quality on carefully rendered scenes of early-20th-century New York. All told, this offering has the feel of a tale that has been passed down from generation to generation, based in truth but lovingly polished until the rougher parts are smoothed over and the magic in it shines. (author’s note, glossary) (Picture book. 6-10)