The Old Coot - Hardcover

Grade 4-6-- An old, gold-hungry prospector is offered a bonanza by a tricky coyote. The pair travel for many months while the mangy animal regales the man with stories, "some of them frightful scary, some desperate sad, and some knee-slapping funny." The coyote leaves the man with a golden collection of tales, which he does not appreciate until he makes his living retelling them throughout the West. Christelow's expressive black-and-white pencil drawings contribute to the strong characterization and sense of location; they are both humorous and well placed. Unfortunately the plot is somewhat disjointed. Readers do not share the coyote's wonderful tales; rather, the book wanders haltingly through three of the prospector's adventures. In the first, the storyteller likens a rustler to a crow, a difficult concept for children to grasp. The folksy voice does provide some read-aloud potential. --Barbara Lattimer, Yucca Valley Branch Lib . , CA
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