The Case of the Tricky Trap #46

Hank the Cowdog #46

by John R. Erickson

Someone has been getting into the feed in the feed shed, so Slim has put out atrap for the offending party. As Head of Ranch Security, Hank knows it's his job to check the trap and help Slim nail the culprit. Unfortunately, the trap is a bit trickier than Hank expected, and when he finds himself face-to-face with none other than his old buddy Eddy the Rac, Hank is suddenly in a compromising position.Will Eddy and Hank be able to work things out, or does the cunning coon have only his own best interests in mind?

Genres: Childrens, Humor, Fiction, Mystery, Juvenile, Animals

160 pages, Hardcover

First published December 21, 2012

About the author

John R. Erickson, a former cowboy and ranch manager, is gifted with a storyteller's knack for spinning a yarn. Through the eyes of Hank the Cowdog, a smelly, smart-aleck Head of Ranch Security, Erickson gives readers a glimpse of daily life on a ranch in the West Texas Panhandle. This series of books and tapes is in school libraries across the country, has sold more than 7.6 million copies, is a Book-of-the-Month Club selection, and is the winner of the 1993 Audie for Outstanding Children's Series from the Audio Publisher's Association. Publishers Weekly calls Hank a "grassroots publishing phenomena," and USA Today says this is "the best family entertainment in years."

Hank the Cowdog made his debut in the pages of The Cattleman, a magazine for adults, and when Erickson started getting "Dear Hank" letters, he knew he was onto something. So in 1983, he self-published 2,000 copies of The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog, and they sold out in 6 weeks.

When teachers began inviting Erickson to their schools, Hank found his most eager fans. Teachers, librarians, and students alike love Hank. According to some Texas Library Association surveys, the Hank the Cowdog books are the most popular selections in many libraries' children's sections. The lively characters make excellent material for reading and writing lessons, and turn even the most reluctant readers into avid Hank-fans.

Erickson was born in Midland, Texas, but by the age of 3, he had moved with his family to Perryton, Texas, where he and his wife live today on their working cattle ranch. They have 3 grown children and 4 grandchildren. His advice to young writers is, "Write about something you know. Try to leave your readers better off than they were before."

Reviews

[Eric Copeland · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first ever Hank the Cowdog book. I realize it's the 46th book in the series, and these books are extremely popular at the library where I work. But the first of the books was published the year I turned 12, and I was probably just a skosh too old for it. By the time my own kids came along, the books were off my radar screen, but author John R. Erickson was still putting them out.

While I'm reading juvenile and young adult books from mid-April to mid-May, I figured it was time. And it was enjoyable, though I probably won't end up reading the entire series.

Hank is not just ANY cowdog -- he's the Head of Ranch Security at the Texas ranch where he lives. At least that's how he presents himself... in reality, he's a dog who gets into the same kinds of situations that dogs of any title, rank, or job do. Slim, the ranch hand who's the human presence in this book (not having read the others, I don't know if there are other people in Hank's world), mostly humors Hank through his mischief and his mishaps. We also meet Drover, another dog on the ranch, as well as a raccoon named Eddy and two buzzards named Wallace and Junior.

The gist of this book is that something has been getting into the feed in the ranch's shed, and Slim sets up a trap to catch the culprit. Hank really wants to play a role in all this, but he's... well, i probably shouldn't give away too much, just in case someone hasn't read it but plans to do so.

I'm told the audiobooks for this series are especially enjoyable, but unfortunately I generally steer clear of audiobooks. My commute is less than three minutes, so even a short audiobook could take me a while to get through!

[Angieluila Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's tricky alright. Hank found out how tricky it was. Haha

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

We listened to this book on CD during our vacation and it had me laughing so hard that it was almost unsafe for me to be driving. It's narrated by the author and he does a great job! Fun for the whole family!
There are lots of Hank books and we listened to several of them but this was my favorite.

[Amy Paget]

This audio volume is certainly one of the best of the entire series. We were laughing just enough NOT to drive off the road when we listened to this while on vacation. Hank got caught in the trap, and then caught in the trap, and then caught...you get the picture. This is a wonderful series for reluctant young male readers with a fan club to join and lots of activities on their website.

[Darryl Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read pretty much this entire series years ago after I descovered them in my elementary school libary. The plot, and characters are great. Plus these books are extremly funny. I loved this series then and I still love it.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all the Hank The Cowdog books

[Allie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the fiction twin text for Smash! Wile E. Coyote experiments with simple machines.