Tornado Slim and the Magic Cowboy Hat

K-Gr 2—Tornado Slim is in for an adventure when a coyote asks him to deliver a letter to the sheriff of Fire Gulch City. The coyote sees that he's a bit hesitant and sweetens the deal by giving Slim his special cowboy hat. The young man travels from town to town, and, as he does, floods, tornadoes, fire, and bandits seem to follow him. He quickly learns that his new hat is not the run-of-the-mill variety; it allows him to avert these catastrophes. An even bigger surprise awaits him in Fire Gulch City as he becomes the new sheriff. Full of cowboy lingo such as "pard'ner" and "sarsaparilla" and food such as smoked ribs and five-alarm chili, this book paints a fun picture of the Wild West. The detail-oriented watercolor illustrations add to the adventure. Appealing as a read-aloud or as independent reading, Tornado Slim will have youngsters laughing up a storm.—Sarah Polace, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Parma, OH