Bea Reviews The Sagebrush Singers by Herbert Kernecker & Illustrated by James Watts

Publisher: Humboldt American Press
Format Read: eGalley
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: March 31, 2014
Buying Links: Currently not available
ISBN: 9780984532230 hardcover; 9780984532247 paperback

Blurb from goodreads:

Four desert inhabitants – a burro, a coyote, a skunk and a raven – face an uncertain future, until they discover each other and bravely set out on a journey to start a new life as the Sagebrush Singers!

Based on a classic German folktale collected long ago by the Brothers Grimm, The Sagebrush Singers is the amusing and uplifting story of four animals who comfort and support each other by banding together. In his colorful retelling of the “Bremen Town Musicians,” author Herb Kernecker has transformed the original four creatures – a donkey, a dog, a cat and a rooster – into a burro, a coyote, a skunk and a raven living somewhere in the American Southwest.

Beautifully imagined by award-winning, bestselling children’s book illustrator James Watts, this picture book will enchant children (ages 5 to 10) and please their parents.

Bea's Thoughts:

I've always liked "The Musicians of Bremen" so I snapped up this book, which is a nice update. The basic story is the same but set in the western part of the US with animals common to the west. The story follows the same basic plot line as the original; 4 animals join together with the ambition of making a good living singing in the big city. Along the way, they encounter difficulties and work together to achieve a goal. 

Kids will appreciate the trickery of the animals; it's sly but not hurtful. Kernecker slips in some environmental awareness but it's subtly done. Soft neutral-toned illustrations that are not busy and give a feel for the west complement the text. This story will be enjoyed by children and adults both.