Wild Texas Stampede!, The
After her father leaves for Austin, Texas, Ima Hogg is left in charge of their unique farm and taking care of her mischievous little brother.
Author: Margaret McManis
Illustrator: Bruce Dupree
Publisher: Pelican Publishing Company
Date: September 1, 2008
About the Author
Margaret McManis, a former children's librarian, serves as a guest lecturer at schools, museums, libraries, and bookstores. She has written two other books for children; Ima and the Great Ostrich Race and Ole! Cinco de Mayo.
Ima Minds Her Little Brother
Ima Hogg's father was a 19th century governor of Texas. He had to travel to Austin for the election, so he left Ima in charge of "minding" her little brother, Tom. They lived on a ranch with many exotic and unusual animals.
Ima took her responsibility very seriously and was determined to keep her brother in line while her father was away. Tom liked to "bother the buffaloes, outrage the ostriches, and panic the pachyderms."
Ima was at her wit's end when Tom caused the animals to stampede and put their safety in danger. She knew she had to do something to get Tom to leave the animals alone.
Ima came up with a "sticky" plan that would keep Tom away from the animals and out of danger.
My Thoughts
This is a historical fiction story based on the lives of a real Texas governor and his family. The author included a page at the end of the book that tells about the real Governor James Stephen Hogg and his delightful family that included Ima and her four brothers. Since their mother died when Ima was thirteen, she was often left in charge of her younger siblings.
Ima's father knew that he could trust her to take care of Tom while he was away. Ima was up to the task. Her little brother was "all boy", but Ima came up with an ingenious idea to keep him out of trouble until their father returned.
Children will notice the loving care that Ima gave her brother...even when she was angry with him! The antics with the animals will have children laughing out loud. Can you imagine a stampede of buffaloes, ostriches and elephants?
The full-page color illustrations complimented the text and added a great deal to the enjoyment of this book.
This book makes Texas history fun and will have children begging to learn more about Ima Hogg and her family. The book is perfect for read-aloud to young children or independent reading for more advanced readers. Highly recommended!
My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5
FYI ~ I checked out a print copy of this book from my local public library.
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