The cowboy is a romantic figure of the great American West, known for his quiet stoicism and the tough exterior that belied a soft heart when it came to his horse and the cows in his charge. But those are stories of archetypes and not of actual people. This book introduces children to some of the real people who influenced the development of the cowboy narrative as we know it today.

An essential part of the western economy was the development of the cattle industry, and cowboys played the integral part of getting herds to the markets where they were needed. Men like Charlie Goodnight and James Cook drove cattle herds huge distances across the wilderness, forging trails and learning their way as they traveled. At the end of the trail, towns sprang up, lawless and rowdy as the country worked toward a proper set of laws to govern everyone. Marshal Tom Smith, among other brave men, worked hard to bring law and order to these towns so that people could settle down and build their homes and families in communities that were healthy and safe. The life of a cattle-driving cowboy was so alluring that even as it drew to an end, easterners like Will Rogers wanted to pursue it, and Will himself wouldn’t stop until he had achieved his dream and made it famous for everyone to see and appreciate. These are the real cowboys, and they come to life in this book.

This book is also available as a series of dyslexia-friendly books. (See below.)