Why Cowgirls Are Such Sweet Talkers (Why Cowboys) - Tapa dura

In a place where women are "scarcer than whiskers on a rattler," Cowgirl Gabby does more than practice her trick riding. This sweet-talking gal rides along, proving to Slim Jim Watkins, the cowhands, the greenhorns, and the cowboys that they should never underestimate the power of sweet-talking.

Gabby rides up and listens to a fallen cowboy as he rubs the dust off himself and his spurs. He complains that Tornado, his horse, is as jumpy as popcorn in a skillet. Well, after a smile and a whisper, Cowgirl Gabby has no problem calming down Tornado. When asked how she did it, Gabby replies, "I just sweet-talked him and rode without poking him." The men still have a lot to learn about sweet-talking.

Why Cowgirls Are Such Sweet Talkers is the fourth book in the Slim Jim Watkins series published by Pelican, thanks to the joint efforts of Laurie Lazzaro Knowlton and James Rice. The other series titles include Why Cowboys Sleep with Their Boots On, Why Cowboys Need a Brand, and Why Cowboys Need a Pardner.

Ohio native Laurie Lazzaro Knowlton is also the author of Nana's Rice Pie, published by Pelican. In addition to running a summer camp at the Roots 'n Wings Ranch, Mrs. Knowlton "sweet-talks" schoolchildren during author appearances across the country. While sharing stories with her young pardners, Mrs. Knowlton promotes reading and writing skills.

Illustrator James Rice is a proud grandfather of seven whose sketches accompany the tale of "St. Nicklus" and his "eight alligator a pullin' de skiff" in the Pelican classic Cajun Night Before Christmas. Rice is the illustrator and/or author of fifty-plus books, with more than 1,500,000 copies in print.