Why Cowboys Sleep with Their Boots on

Young cowpokes everywhere will take a shine to this rib-ticklin' tale of Slim Jim Watkins and his vanishing wardrobe. Every night when the tired cowboy disrobes and stretches out on his bedroll for some shut-eye, thieving varmints emerge from the darkness. First, a pair of slithering snakes boost his britches, then his bandana's lifted by a coyote. When an armadillo makes off with his hat, Slim finally cottons to the shenanigans and wisely opts to sleep fully clothed. Knowlton's humorous story finds a ready pardner in Rice's droll pen-and-wash illustrations, colored with the dusty hues of the Southwest. Ages 5-up. (Jan.)