Rocket Surgeon: A person with less-than-stellar aptitude. A mixture of "rocket scientist" and "brain surgeon" This phrase describes a person who is neither.




Saturday, March 20, 2010

No wonder Jason wants to be a Cowboy

I picked up this book from an elementary school library a couple years ago.  They were cleaning out some titles.  It's old and they were getting rid of it due to it's copyright date.....1977. 


It's like any other ABC book you can find.....





I adore this jackrabbit.



Skinny sucker, aint he?  He's scattered all through the book.



Ramrod = Jason



Tenderfoot = Angel



Ewe = Range maggots according to Jason, but I'm still getting some.....someday! 
And chickens too!



Oldtimer =  Jason in about 6 months!

When I wrote my little storybook called Doggie went a Courtin, I wanted it to be Dogie went a courtin', but I figured most people would just think I misspelled it.


So the Cowboy ABC book goes on to talk about the standard cowboy words like jerky, mustangs, things you expect in a children's book.

Then, it gives a litttle dating advice:


Filly = a good looking girl.

And maybe, just maybe, it fosters substance abuse a bit much, for a children's book I mean, not that there's anything wrong with that. 


Drinking and Driving, why not?
It was probably this book that kicked off the need for the DARE to keep kids off drugs programs.





More good advice:  Blow all your money on your addictions.



Feeling tired, hungry or thirsty kids?
Have a cigarette!
It fixes it all.


And then.....


Really! 
W could be for wranglers, the original western wear.

Or wild west.

Or wabbits.

But wetback does start with a W afterall.


Maybe the library was just getting rid of it because of its copyright date.  Or maybe kids never checked it out because it didn't have wizards or avatars or sparkly princesses in it.  Or maybe it is a bit inappropriate in a public school in a politically correct era.

Nah.
 I love it.
I can't wait to read it to my grandchildren.

Luuuucccccyyyyyyy!!!  You got some 'splainin' to do!





This book has a new copyright date of 1990 and from what I can tell, its a revised edition.
For more James Rice books, here's a website
http://www.pelicanpub.com/products.asp?cat=469&pg=3



1 comment:

Beverly said...

Ohhhhh, Angel, this cracks me up! I graduated from high school in 1977. Geez, no wonder I have a tendency to be a tad politically incorrect. ALSO, when Chase was a student in PISD elementary, Mr.James Rice was the visiting author..and since I collect "Night before Christmas" books, and he has written several versions..we now have a rather unorthodox Cowboy version that is a part of that collection/signed by the author.