Billy and Blaze head west again in another classic adventure from C. W. Anderson. This time, the loyal friends come face-to-face with a ferocious mountain lion. But fortunately, they're able to chase the wild cat into its den and save a frightened calf from near death. Billy and Blaze help capture the cat before it can emerge, and, heroes once again, ride the range in search of new adventures! Sensitive drawings and easy-to-read words capture the warmth and understanding between a boy and his horse.
Clarence William Anderson (1891–1971) was an author and illustrator of children's books. Known professionally as C.W. Anderson, Anderson had an interest in horses and drawing.
Anderson started his career by illustrating for other authors, but eventually began developing texts to accompany his realistic and lively black and white drawings. He is best known for his "Billy and Blaze" book series.
The adventures of Billy and Blaze would revolve around proper care of the horse, while teaching a lesson. Anderson would go to great lengths to give accurate information. He would even go on to write Heads Up, Heels Down as a training tool for young horse lovers. All of the stories Anderson wrote would be based on true stories or people that Anderson knew, only the plots were fiction.
By the end of Anderson's life, he had written and illustrated over thirty-five horse books, and also had created covers for the Saturday Evening Post.
"I want to learn about mountain lions. I liked it. What did the big mountain lion want? I like the post when the mountain lion ran away from Billy and Blazer." - Charlotte
Phew, finally! I got to read a children's book again!
You might think how could anyone possibly be too busy to read a children's book? It takes three minutes! You'd be surprised, I've been absolutely swamped.
This lovely tale about Billy and Blaze was a wonderful way to get back into it. This story particularly resonated with me as I'm a member of a rural community where cattle drives down the main street is a normal occurrence. I have worked on a ranch where mountain lions were a concern and I know the loss and suffering entailed with the death of a calf. It's not just the loss of an animal, it's the loss of revenue, here and now, and in the future. What if that calf happened to be a calf that came from a particularly valuable stud? What if it was intended to be a stud? It could represent the financial lost of tens of thousands of dollars. We looked out for our neighbors cattle, if you see one wandering you took care to inform the owner, or the county if the owner wasn't readily identifiable. I liked Billy's neighborliness and his problem-solving way of going about things, it's an excellent book to teach self-sufficiency without lecturing a child.
I think this was the last of a trio of books where Billy and Blaze have adventures in the West. Whatever happened to Thunderbolt is not mentioned here, but cowboy Jim returns.
This was originally published in 1959, so the book is a product of its time. The West has changed dramatically since then. It's no longer legal to hunt or capture Mustangs. Mountain lions (also known as pumas or cougars) are just about extinct, so a kid reading this now could be really confused. Kid, it's a snapshot of what the American West was like in the 1950s.
Blaze is his usual heroic but quiet self. He's a quick learner. In the other two books, he had been doing some cow pony training, so he was already rope wise.
Anderson drew animals better than he drew people, and he does not disappoint here. Animals just seem to dance out of his pencil. His calf is exceptionally good.
I loved the Billy and Blaze series as a kid. I collected most of the series in my early 20s. Life made me homeless, losing just about everything. I missed the Billy and Blaze series so much that I now bought six replacements, including this book. I keep them and a few other select books in a special bag to grab in case of fire.
Billy and his horse Blaze enjoy riding through the countryside out west and practicing their roping skills. When Billy hears there's a large mountain lion preying on his friend Jim's cattle, he sets out hoping to find it. He and Blaze do encounter the mountain lion and discover an imperiled calf, which they rescue and return to Jim. When Jim is able to use Billy's information to hunt down the mountain lion, he uses the bounty he receives to purchase a new rope lasso for the boy as a way to thank him. Good story, not too terrifying, but definitely suspenseful for young readers. Billy is independent, courageous, curious, and kind. Kids who enjoy horse stories should enjoy the adventures of Billy and Blaze (there are other stories in this series). Well-written without being either too simple or too complex.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This is the sixth book I have read. It will be the last book for the language arts challenge, but I am sure my daughter might want to read more in this series. Billy and his parents and of course Blaze go to a ranch in the west. A mountain lion is killing calves. Billy asks a "cowboy friend" Jim if the mountain lion would attack he or Blaze. He is told, "No, a mountain lion is afraid of man. He would never attack you, but he is tough on calves." I am not so sure about that. Note to self: more research on mountain lions attacking humans. Another enjoyable book in this great series.
What a joy to revisit this wonderful story. I have always loved these books, the artwork and stories are just the best! All these years later, I'm 58 and thoroughly enjoyed this adventure! I found the whole series and thought that a relaxing Sunday spent reading the group would be a super way to spend the day. I can't stop smiling. :)
Billy and Blaze spend the summer at a ranch house, and help rancher Jim locate and capture a mountain lion that has been killing the rancher's calves. Jim spends some of the reward money and buys Billy a brand new lasso for his help.
James: I like how Billy’s friend told him that mountain lions lived where he was going. He saw some tracks and some bones. It wasn’t scary because the lion doesn’t like people so Billy wasn’t in danger. Billy and his friend saved a calf.
The Billy and Blaze series is great for little kids who love adventure and nature. When we finished the series, my seven year old said “We are DEFINITELY reading those again.” They are treasures that you won’t find on any of the modern children’s book lists.
I mean, I guess this one had a better attempt at drama? But there was still no doubt that Billy would be victorious. Oh, and he got a present again for being so good.
I recommend the Billy and Blaze books. They are clean and filled with adventure and sometimes suspense. I appreciate a good story about a child spending time outside exploring!
Book 6 in the series Beautiful drawings, as usual for this series. I love the relationship between the pony and the boy, Billy's independence, and their helpfulness. But the way the cougar is portrayed and the part of the story that involves the cougar is totally unacceptable to me. I will not be reading this to my son. I do not want him to learn to think this way about nature. If he happens to choose to read it on his own in the future, when I am not curating which books we bring home, we will definitely need to have a discussion about the book afterward.
I love the drawings in these Billy and Blaze books. The horse is always beautiful. And Billy's wearing a little cowboy hat, similar to my cowgirl hat from a decade later.
The stories, however, I find a wee bit annoying. Ah, well, it pleases the PandaBat.
Really Billy goes in search of the mountain lion after his adult friend tells him that mountain lions are scared of humans. He finds the mountain lion and finds his home. He then tells the adult so the adult can go kill him. Not my favorite story but still a good read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
So, I love Billy and Blaze, but I hate the whole idea of bounty hunters and "OH HEY WE MUST SHOOT TEH EVIL MOUNTAIN LION IT IS KILLIN OUR CALVES" because HELLO YOU ARE RAISING THE CALVES FOR THE PURPOSE OF KILLING THEM ANYWAY, and also the mountain lion was there first.
So, I like the other books better than this one. Heh.