Zack wrapped his arms around the huge bull's neck. "Don't worry," Zack said, swallowing hard. "No busy city or world famous Stock Show can scare us. Right?"
Zack is looking forward to taking Buster the bull to the National Western Stock Show in Denver. As Zack and his dad sing their way down the road, Buster the bull doesn't find his first trip away from the ranch much fun. When the snow turns into a blinding blizzard and Zack's dad must detour through downtown, Buster sees his chance to make his own hay. Thundering out of the truck, Buster gallops straight through the doors of the Brown Palace Hotel where, he confronts Alice, who works with her mother in the hotel gift shop. Zack must act quickly to save his new friend Alice and Buster from disaster.
Kathleen Cook Waldron's lively story of a boy and his bull is complemented by the rich and vibrant painting by Alan and Lea Daniel, who capture the drama and triumph of the roundup at the Palace.
"The colorful pen-and-ink-on-gouache artwork sets the mood and atmosphere for this adventure. The snowy scenes are so realistic that readers will want to pull their sweaters a little closer, and the pictures of young Alice calming the huge beast are totally satisfying. Varied perspectives add to the movement, energy, and excitement of the story."
— School Library Journal Reviews
"Roundup at the Palace is unique and entertaining, with special appeal for young boys who fancy themselves cowpokes, even if all they own is a big, goofy dog."
— Curled Up With a Good Kid's Book
"The winning combination, of exciting text and electrifying illustrations, makes this a great book for individual or group reading."
— Resource Links
"The book's supersized illustrations are by Alan and Lea Daniel of Kitchener, whose name on the cover are a leading indicator of the quality work inside."
— The Guelph Mercury
"The illustrations are big, bold and humorous."
Highly Recommended"
— CM Magazine
"This story is that rare thing - a plausible, realistic tale in which the child protagonists solve the problem themselves. The action is beautifully shaped, with the two stories coming together, linked by music. The pace moves smoothly between motion and rest, and the tone, a delicate balance of almost-slapstick and genuine danger, is pitch-perfect. Waldron has fashioned a heart-stopping, funny, moving gem of a story. The author-illustrator collaboration here is also brilliant. The Daniels create a piece of genuine theatre. . . . The characters became so real to me that I caught myself hoping that Alice's mother and Zack's father might get together."
— Quill and Quire
"Alan and Lea Daniel have filled the pages with colour and motion. The illustrations are lively and leavened with humour. Buster bursts through the pages as he thunders down the street into the hotel. He is larger-than-life. . . Roundup at the Palace is an original, entertaining and wholly satisfying story."
— Canadian Children's Book News magazine
"Kathleen Cook Waldron spins a delightful tale. . . Roundup at the Palace is a classic urban and cowboy legend, beautifully illustrated and well written. This is a children's book, with a combination of drama, humour and wonderful images."
— Mike Puhallo, president of the BC Cowboy Heritage Society (BCCHS)
Alan Daniel
works for publishers across North America from his Kitchener, Ontario, studio. His art is notable for its fine draftsmanship, humor and versatility of style. He is the illustrator of many children's picture books, including Bunnicula: Return to Howliday Inn, Good Families Don't, The Grand Escape, The Healing of Texas Juke and Carlotta's Kittens. Alan Daniel often collaborates with partner Lea Daniel. Together they illustrated Sody Salleratus, which earned them the Mr. Christie Book Award.
Lea Daniel
has collaborated with her partner Alan Daniel on 23 books in the Songbox Series as well as My Home Bay, The Best Figure Skater in the Whole World and Sody Salleratus, which earned them the Mr. Christie Book Award. Lea is the author of Drummer and Finnger's War and has two short plays produced.
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