After garnering a well-deserved Geisel Honor medal for their first adventure, Kate and her wiseacre talking horse Cocoa kick up their heels and hooves in another satisfying romp. In the first of four funny chapters, Kate talks Cocoa out of wanting cowboy boots and into “lucky” new horseshoes. The pair cooperates—mostly—to rescue a lost calf and hone Kate’s roping skills, partnering through thick and thin (not to mention wet and dry). Silverman’s crisp, lively dialogue and well-chosen action words (“nuzzled,” “twirled,” “pranced”) result in that rarity among easy readers: a flowing text that functions as well as a read-aloud as it does a reader. Lewin, who knows her way around a barnyard, uses her signature, economical, bold black line to define and enliven the bright watercolors. She deftly captures the many moods of Cocoa, who’s at turns mischievous, willful and affectionate. Both girls and boys will enjoy this fresh new series, another winner in the publisher’s stable of excellent books for emergent readers. (Easy reader. 5-8)
