JACK CREEK COWBOY

The author of several photo documentaries (All in a Day's Work, 1989) depicts two boys helping their ranch-hand dad herd cattle. Justin, 10, and Corey, 12, have a lot to learn; in the summer's early weeks, they hone their riding and roping skills to get ready for the demanding task ahead, when the ranch's cattle take their allotted turn grazing in Wyoming's Shoshone National Forest. In an informative text and with outstanding color photos of the boys, the animals, the action, and the breathtaking environs, Johnson outlines the variety of duties around a ranch, as well as the issues related to grazing on public lands, and depicts the boys' part in the real work of watching the cattle and moving them from one area to another to prevent overgrazing. An attractive, realistic portrayal of present practice in an occupation where, in the popular mind, the myths are still strong. (Nonfiction. 7-11)