From School Library Journal Kindergarten-Grade 3—It's 1910, and Ben and his parents have just moved from their ranch in the West to New York City, "where they'd heard the work and the pay were the best." The lonely child, who still dreams of becoming a cowboy, misses his home and feels like an outsider in his crowded Hell's Kitchen neighborhood where the kids bully and tease him. Then he hears about the Tenth Avenue Cowboys, whose job is to gallop their horses alongside train tracks embedded in the cobblestone streets to warn people of an approaching locomotive. Striking up a friendship with these men and their horses, Ben finally begins to feel as though the city is truly his home. The lively narrative and realistic single- and double-page paintings provide a glimpse into life in early-20th-century New York City and highlight an interesting part of its past. This book could be used to expand studies of American history, cowboys, and cross-country migration. Ben's story will also speak to youngsters who have experienced change or felt like outsiders.—Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journal Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Read more
H**7
Expected more
This story is just OK. I purchased the book as a New Yorker after I learned about these "urban cowboys" and that they rode up into my neighborhood in Harlem. I expected more given the uniqueness of the story (and the price of the book). Wish I had borrowed from the library instead of purchasing.
S**Y
A wonderful story about a piece of American history for elementary age kids
SUMMARY: In 1910, Ben and his parents moved to New York from the west to find work. They move to Hell's Kitchen, a crowded part of the city. Ben misses the west. He dreams of being a cowboy. He loves watching the horses of the city go by. One day, Ben finds out about the Tenth Avenue Cowboys who ride their horses in front of incoming trains to warn people to clear the tracks. He meets one of the Cowboys and gets to ride with him. When he grows up, he gets his dream of being a cowboy while still living in the city.ILLUSTRATIONS: The illustrations were created with oil paint on canvas. They are beautiful, rich and colorful.REVIEW: I love learning history through stories and this was a new piece of history to me. I enjoyed learning about these cowboys. The story is short and the wording simple for younger children.AGE RECOMMENDATION: Grades 1-4
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