Ilene Cooper (Booklist, January 1 & 15, 1999 (Vol. 95, No. 9 & 10))
Cowpokes will ride into dreamland as they listen to the evocative words of Appelt's good-night poem: "The stars in soft-warm silver / dance above coyote's lair // You can see the nighthawk's shadow / as she lifts into the air." As Appelt takes young cowboys from their palomino ponies to their beds, illustrator Root shows the action outside as the boy in the story drifts off. Executed in twilight colors of golds, deep blues, nighttime blues, and moonlight silver, the art depicts both the wildlife on the trail getting ready for sleep and the cowboys settling down around the campfire. The pictures have an appropriate dreamlike feeling as stars and moonlight invade the bedroom as well as lighting the dark for those outside. Unfortunately, some of the humans have an unfinished look that detracts from the overall effect of the otherwise satisfying art. Cowboys may not be as much in vogue as they once were, but there are still plenty of kids who want to ride the range. Git along, little doggies. Category: For the Young. 1999, HarperCollins, $14.95 and $14.89. Ages 3-6.

Kristin Harris (Children's Literature)
The young cowboy heads down the hill, after being called inside for the night. He climbs into bed and pretends to ride his palomino in the moonlight to the cowboys' campfire. At the campfire we hear the cowboys croon, and see the stars overhead. The nighthawk glides on the evening breeze and wishes all a good night's sleep. The cicadas chirp that it is time to go to sleep. This is the ultimate bedtime book for the kid who really wants to be a cowboy. Painterly illustrations really carry this book. A soft night lighting and imaginative night skies fill these full page spreads. 1999, HarperCollins, $14.95. Ages 4 to 7.

Lisa Larremore (The Lorgnette - Heart of Texas Reviews (Vol. 12, No. 2))
A little cowpoke is lulled to sleep by dreams of the sights and sounds of the western landscape at night. Barry Root has illustrated the story in a very illuminating manner. Ms. Appelt grew up watching westerns on TV and reading westerns, so she obviously wrote about it, too. It is written in English, and she uses western lingo as well. Fiction, Highly Recommended. Grades K-3. 1999, HarperCollins, Unpaged, $14.89. Ages 5 to 9.