Every Cowgirl Goes to School

PreS-Gr 1—Nellie Sue is excited about the first day of school, even though she can't wear her big, pink cowgirl hat or take along her trusty sidekick, Ginger the dog. When she gets on the bus, her friend Anna is already sitting next to a new girl, Maya. Tension builds throughout the day as things fail to go Nellie Sue's way, culminating in an incident with Maya, who has drawn a picture of her as a cow. The misunderstanding is resolved with an apology, and new friends are made as ever-resourceful and determined Nellie Sue's winning personality saves the day. Avril's pink-infused, energetic ink, watercolor, and gouache illustrations suit the girl's sparkly persona well, as does the cowpoke vernacular found in the text. Fans will be happy to read a new chapter in Nellie Sue's life. This picture book also makes a nice addition to collections needing more school and friendship titles.—Angela J. Reynolds, Annapolis Valley Regional Library, Bridgetown, NS, Canada