Synopses & Reviews
From the day she was born, Hannah Mae O'Hannigan has dreamed of being the root-tootinest cowgirl ever. Too bad for Hannah Mae, she lives smack-dab in the middle of a city.
But Hannah Mae's Uncle Coot lives way out West, and Hannah Mae is sure-as-sunshine determined to make it to his ranch. So with the help of her parents, Hannah Mae trains for the life of a rodeo star. She practices her horse ridin' with Sassafras -- a sweet pony from the pony-ride in the park. Her stuffed animals are perfect for ropin' practice, and she masters cow herdin' by rounding up a bunch of pet-store hamsters.
Finally Hannah Mae is ready to lasso her destiny. But when she gets to Uncle Coot's ranch, she is given only ranch-hand chores. Thanks to a mysterious herd on the horizon, Hannah Mae learns that with some quick thinkin' and some sure ridin', she can be the cowgirl who saves the day (and the frontier)!
Synopsis
Lisa Campbell Ernst lassoes a sure-fire hit! From the day she was born, Hannah Mae O'Hannigan dreamed of being the root-tootin'est cowgirl ever, and she's not about to let being a city slicker get in her way. She brushes up on her cowgirl skills by ridin' her trusty cow pony, Sassafras. She rounds up her pet hamsters and lassoes her stuffed animals. At last, she's ready to go way out West to her uncle Coot's ranch. Once she gets to the ranch, Uncle Coot gives Hannah Mae boring chores to do. But when a pack of angry hamsters escapes to the prairie, there's only one cowgirl who knows how to round those rascals up. With some quick thinkin' and sure ridin', Hannah Mae saves the ranch.
About the Author
Lisa Campbell Ernst has written and illustrated many popular children's books, including
Goldilocks Returns, her own version of
Little Red Riding Hood, and
Stella Louella's Runaway Book, which
School Library Journal called "a great story for reading out loud."
Lisa says, of writing Hannah Mae's story, "Growing up in Oklahoma, I was fascinated with legends of the West -- especially tales of fearless cowgirls. At slumber parties we relished in telling ghost stories about Belle Starr, a cowgirl bandit who was said to have lived in the area. I was certainly not a fearless cowgirl, and I didn't have a horse or cattle, but I did have a hamster -- and a rather overactive imagination. This was the beginning of Hannah Mae."
Lisa Campbell Ernst lives in Kansas City, Missouri, with her husband, Lee, and their daughters, Elizabeth and Allison.