It takes one ingenious little boy to defuse a threat that has a whole town quaking in its boots. Larger than life, dangerous outlaw Dirk Yeller looms into town bigger than his horse, terrifying even the tumbleweeds. He's lookin’ for who-knows-what to stop his itchin’ and twitchin’ and jumpin’ and rattlin’. Only one small boy, the narrator of the tale, stands up to Dirk and leads him to, of all places, the public library. There, he is charmed by Miss Jenny, who helps him find just the right book, even though he isn’t a “real strong reader.” Lost in reading, he’s cured of his itchin’. As the sun sinks low and closing time nears, Dirk Yeller rides off with a saddlebag of books, promising to come back—not to cause trouble, but to get more books (and to see Miss Jenny). The sandy-hued illustrations are packed with details and humor. The antics of a cat and some mice provide a silent visual subplot, and both human and animal expressions will tickle readers. Hoyt’s marvelous caricatures are worth thousands of words, making this hilarious tall tale not only a plug for books and reading but an outsized winner. (Picture book. 4-8)
