Really fun as an audio book for kids ( )

Really fun as an audio book for kids ( )

It's fun to anticipate Hank the Cowdog leaping to false conclusions in a single bound, his attempts to save face when he finds out he's wrong, mangling words, and yet somehow saving the day. Loved his reaction to newborn Molly Loper, though not the jealousy from big brother Alfred (pronounced 'Alferd'). Hank and Drover's conversation as they munched their tasteless co-op dog food in their improvised dog dish had me chuckling. Hank's encounter with the bobcat aptly-named Sinister made me wince in sympathy.

The highlight, of course, was Hank's adventure in the dark unchanted (sic) forest. The place frightened him enough that only danger to Little Alfred could get him to enter, and he almost chickened out. It was nice to see Madame Moonshine the witch owl again. Rip and Snort, the coyote brothers, and the buzzards, Wallace and Junior, were also welcome. (I particularly enjoyed Wallace's contribution to the song, 'I Love All Kinds of Stuff,' even if 'Disorientation' had a better tune.)

Old-time background music I recognized: 'Turkey in the Straw,' 'I Dream of Jeannie With the Light Brown Hair,' 'Old Folks at Home' (Way Down Upon the Suwanee/Swanee River') and 'Oh Shenandoah'.

Hank continues to offer some fine listening pleasure. I'm miffed that some other library patron has beaten me to the next audio book in the series. ( )