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Customer Reviews: Average Rating:  Rating : - most memorable book ever read to me
I am a 42 year old man, with two daughters. I am the youngest of my parents' three sons. "Cowboy and His Friend", (1961 1st.ed.) is the first book that I remember being read to me as a child. This book was purchased for my oldest brother, but it immediately became a family favorite.
My father, a hard worker, often coming home after dinner had been served, would sometimes arrive home to find his three sons in pajamas, ready or getting ready for bed. He would, at that time, (1968 or so), ask if I wanted to hear a story, which I always I did. (The question was directed to me, but sometimes Bobby and Stephen; the two "olders" would horn in). My father would invariably pull out "Cowboy and His Friend", not only because we loved it but also because he loved it. I would always sit next to my father; still in his suit, smelling of "office things", he would begin by reading every word in the book, including, as he annoyingly continues to do today at age 83, the frontispiece and all the copyright and publishing information preceding the actual story.
When my father would finish reading this book, there was often be a long silence after the book was closed. It took me a small child, some time figure out that this prolonged silence was because my father was unable to speak after reading the book, as very often his voice was choked with emotion and tears were in his face.
Because my family's copy was promised to my oldest brother, I just purchased my own copy, an exact 1961 original printing.
"Cowboy and His Friend" is the most memorable book I have ever read or had read to me. Only "To Kill a Mockingbird" has come remotely close to "Cowboy and his Friend" to being a threat to it in my hierarchy of things. The simplistic sweetness of the prose and the universal exploits of the boy coupled with the innocence of the boy and his friend and the timeless illustrations have lingered in my mind for the past 20 odd years since I last read my parents copy ; that is until today, when my magnificent own original 1961 edition arrived in the mail.
In reading my new old copy, I am transformed in time and place back to the old familiar couch and sitting next to my Father, as he read the wonderful story of a little boy with an imaginary Bear, doing what little boys do, playing football, eating ice cream, etc. Truth to tell, I did not know until I was an adult that the Bear was imaginary. I finally realized that was what Ms. Anglund had done by drawing the "real life" of the book in black and only the Bear was drawn in brown. When I finished reading my copy just now, for the first time, I did not cry, but I had to wait a minute to compose myself prior to leaving for my appointments
This is a wonderful, wonderful book for children and even more so for the adults who, as child were read this book by a loved one. The original printings are getting scarce, I urge all who know of this book, or of Ms. Anglund's work either as a child or an adult reading to a child of today, to get at the very least a 2002 paperback re-print copy via Amazon.com
God bless Amazon for helping me find a book I have searched for for many years.
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