City-dwellin’, country-talkin’ Nellie Sue, “a cowgirl from head to toe,” wants a horse more than anything and fully expects to receive one on her birthday. As she tackles her chores—harvesting hay (grass clippings) and lassoing neighborhood kids for her party—horses reign supreme in her thought bubbles. She can’t believe that by the time chili and beans are served she still hasn’t got one. Finally, the big moment arrives. Her dad gives her a brand-new… bike. At first she feels like she “swallowed a hay bale,” but she soon gamely accepts that wheels might do the trick in the indisputable absence of hooves. Avril’s wonderfully freewheelin’, loose-lined, cartoonish illustrations help tell the entertaining-but-not-extraordinary story. The opening spread hints that a trip to Frontier Town may have fueled her horsey fire, and, as she rides her bike into the sunset, the sky fades into saguaros and cowboy hats. The glittery stars and hearts on the cover may lure readers into Nellie Sue’s pink cowgirl world, but it’s her hopeful, unbroken spirit that’ll win ’em over. (Picture book. 4-6)
