HOME ON THE RANGE

A timeless portrait of cowboy (and cowgirl) life emerges from 20 illustrated poems. Some of the selections are humorous, some respectful, some impassioned, but most have the echo of truth that comes from those who know their subject. The poems deal with friendship, hardship, weather, hay, and hungry cows; all speak to a love and respect for the land, animals, open skies, and freedom. Janeczko (Wherever Home Begins, 1995, etc.) includes examples of the sentimental doggerel that has become, unfortunately, the hallmark of the genre, but children will find them funny and involving—a way into the more serious pieces. Following a reading of ``The Trail of an Old Timer's Memory,'' there won't be a dry eye in the house. On colored backgrounds, Fuchs has created from oil and pencil striking scenes in which the subjects are on the verge of vanishing, specter-like, into the haze. A good collection, with an unfeigned, cumulative effect that leaves readers with a real sense of a disappearing way of life. (Picture book/poetry. 8-10)