The best part of this is the visual aspect- I completely love Hanawalt's artwork! It has this quirky sort of psychedelic cowgirl vibe, paired with tenderly drawn animals who are funny, relatable, and distinct. The scenery especially was enjoyable to look at in "Coyote Doggirl".
However, I think the plot was rather weak. It meandered around, toying with different points and people, but never really settling into a comfortable pattern. There is a whole climactic point that falls apart simply because two characters are hungry/lazy. In a way that was sort of funny but part of me just wanted a more OOMPH from the plot.
I WOULD recommend checking this out, though! It's a visually tasty read (and at quick one at that) and definitely has heart. :) ( )

A quick read, beautifully illustrated, a tough female character has an adventure in the Old West, where of course, animals are animals but also people are different animals. ( )

I will buy and love anything Lisa Hanawalt puts out. My guess is that Coyote Doggirl will reward multiple readings. ( )

My defenses were up as I started reading this graphic novel because I really had no use for Hanawalt's Hot Dog Taste Test, but I was won over in the first few pages when I realized this was simply a story about a woman's love of horseback riding. Sure, there are some bad guys and action sequences, but mostly this is a book about the love of horses. Which, weirdly, has been a theme in several other good books I've read this month: Live Long and. . .What I Learned Along the Way, Silver Spoon Vol. 4, and Harris and Me. I love that kind of coincidence.

All these horses put me in mind that once upon a time I was a young teenager who grew up on a farm riding horses for play, to drive cattle, and in parades. They are truly wonderful animals.

The goofy, quirky humor of Hanawalt's storytelling and her strong female protagonist are the icing on the cake here. ( )