The Phantom in the Mirror

Hank the Cowdog #20

by John R. Erickson, Gerald L. Holmes (Illustrator)

When Hank takes a peek into the old mirror in the machine shed, he sees the meanest, toughest, stupidest dog he's ever seen. Hank's got to find a way to rid the ranch of this uninvited visitor?but how?

Genres: Mystery, Childrens, Fiction, Young Adult, Audiobook, Comedy, Adventure

114 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1993

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

[Newly Wardell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is really funny stuff. #20 is my first Hank the Cowdog story and it while it took me longer than I care to admit to figure out that he really wasnt in charge. I dont know why I thought this dog had cases by the file cabinets but I did. Erickson is so funny and mixes the illusions of grandeur and reality surprisingly well. For example, Hank reacts poorly to a mirror but he also has to fight some hungry coyotes. There are serious western k9 Don Quixote parallels while facing real problems. My favorite character is Pete the Cat. He is such a sweet lil hater. Theres this scene where they think Pete has gone crazy and hate to see it happen to him, even though they arent cat fans. I was laughing so hard, I had to close the book and put it down. I know this written for kids but childish adults will get it too. I liked the illustrations too. They have a sparse style that complements the narrative seamlessly.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Handsome Prince? I love it!

[Miriam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh man, this series is hilarious. It is a very insightful look at the life of a hard-working, loyal ranch dog named Hank, and his assistant, Drover. This is one of my favorite books in the series. I listened to the audiobook, and John R Erickson (the author) reads it and it's so funny.
In this one Hank sees a dog in the machine shed. (His reflection in the mirror.) He calls Drover in to investigate (which Drover is not thrilled about...'Combat?!') and Drover sees a Handsome Prince! What are they going to do? Clearly the dogs in the mirror are there to take over the ranch...
Well, not to worry; Hank vanquishes the dogs in the mirror!
(This story was made all the funnier because around the time I listened to it, my puppy started barking at her reflection in the oven door.)

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the Hank the Cowdog series when I was a kid. My mom and I read them as fast as we could. It was so great to revisit the series with The Phantom in the Mirror. I remember it being one of my favorites. It's so funny. It had me literally laughing out loud so many times. There was one time where I had to set my Kindle down for a second because I was laughing so hard. I'll just say it had something to do with Hank, some fishing bait, a string, and Sally May. I could so perfectly imagine that exact thing actually happening. I'm chuckling just thinking about it again, lol. This series is fun for all ages and I highly recommend it if you need a good laugh.

[Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 1993/1994 someone donated a "box" set of Hank the Cowdog books to the group home I lived in. I remember well that the set included 22 books and I remember flying through them one by one. I'm not sure I was in the age range of the target audience, but I loved them nonetheless. It is a fond memory in a sea of uncertainty. I can honestly say that these books got me through a rough time.

[Bill Jacobs · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Head of Ranch Security Solves Another Case

Hank the cowdog does it again. Risks it all to save the ranch and endears himself to Sally. Erickson has crafted another tale that will leave you laughing until you bust a gut.

[SSM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my gosh what a laugh! Hilarious! Pete! *shakes head* pete pete pete. He’s so annoying but funny sometimes too. Hank is so funny when he’s talking about himself but doesn’t know it. He says that he looks ugly! Haha he doesn’t even know he’s talking about himself!! Lol!

[Andrea Golding · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing just amazing

Loved it all five stars is not enough I think was the best one yet no other book is better

[Rain · Rating 4 out of 5]

All the Hank the Cowdog books I've read have been good, and funny and this one was no exception. As always, I enjoyed it. And laughed a good amount at the end.

[J]

CRW

[Mirielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't decide which particular Hank book to review, since there are so many, so I just chose randomly. I am not going to be talking about this particular book; just the series in general.
First off, these books are genius!! I have read every single book at least three times and they never get old. There is always at least one point in each book that makes me laugh out loud, and believe me, it has to be something REALLY funny for me to laugh out loud.

I don't know how the author does it, but he has managed to capture the essence of dog SO perfectly it is unbelievable. If you have a dog, you will understand this, but if you don't, you will have trouble understanding some of the humor. (By the way, if you don't have a dog, I pity you)

You really need to read these books. You are missing out on everything if you refuse to read them.

P.S. But wait. Before I go, I need to say one more thing. If you are thinking that you are too mature and grown up to read Hank the Cowdog, you are badly mistaken. Just the fact that you think that proves that you are really very immature. Don't be an idiot. Read the books!!

[Loren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audio

[Nodus Micheal Jackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you like funny fiction books, than hank the cowdog is the perfect series. In this book Hank and his friend Rover look in a mirror and thinks there is an intruder on the farm. Hank and Rover figure out that the mysterious intruder makes the exact same movements as they do. To see if they ever figure out who the mysterious intruder is, read hank the cowdog phantom in the mirror by John R. Erickson.B1

[Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't read very many Hank the Cowdog books, but I do enjoy them. Hank's description of the phantom dog is hilarious. I do like these books as read-alouds, partly because they are soooo funny, but also because Hank, for all his faults, really does take himself and his work seriously; he does his best to fulfill his role as Head of Ranch Security.

[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.

[Elizabeth Gibbs · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't like this book at all. I wouldn't want my kids to read it simply because Erickson intentionally uses incorrect grammar. I would not want my kids to copy his style. Would kids enjoy it? They would probably find it more amusing than I did.

[Cws]

JMAR5-Eri

[Shekoufeh Hi · Rating 3 out of 5]

lovely ....