The Real Cowgirl (Isabelle Duff, illus Susannah Crispe, EK Books)

The Real Cowgirl tells the story of young Sal, who wants to be a ‘real’ cowgirl, ‘with boots and a hat just like Dad’s’, but doesn’t yet have confidence in her own strength or value. Unexpectedly and touchingly, the book is narrated by the pony she rides, with whom she is always ‘brave and smart and strong and wild, all the things a cowgirl should be’. Like any good friend, the pony has great faith in Sal and wishes she could feel as bold and happy at school as she is on horseback, doing circus tricks and herding cows skilfully through the bush. One day, Sal brings some of her riding confidence to school and makes a new friend, and things begin to look up. Susannah Crispe’s watercolour illustrations bring Isabelle Duff’s story to life, with Sal’s simple but expressive face revealing the contrasts in her mood and emotions. The many double-page spreads offer the colours and textures of the landscape and wildlife on Sal’s farm, conveying the depth of her experience outside school. Sal’s journey has an uplifting message about confidence and friendship, and offers an amiable, simple and non-threatening starting point for discussions with little readers (aged 4+) who might have anxieties about school or other experiences beyond their comfort zones.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Anica Boulanger-Mashberg, an editor and writer, is a bookseller at The Hobart Bookshop. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

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