Peanut is a young, scared horse who's learning hot to herd cows. He gets overwhelmed by the whole idea and begins to mix up his instructions; he finally panics...but then he meets the cows themselves. Maybe this isn't such a bad job?

This is a cute and funny book, and I like the explanations in the back. It's hard, though, for young children to read a book written in vernacular--cowboy, pirate, etc.

The overall concept and story of the book was fantastic and really engaging. However, I think the country slang and verbage of the book is going to be troublesome to the intended audience of 5-8 year old readers. For readalouds this age range will LOVE this book. Advanced readers and the older end of the curve will also do well with it.

I really enjoyed this book! It had me laughing out loud and my daughter giggling at the horse's antics. The slang also made my daughter laugh as I read it to her.

We loved this book! Encouraging, hilarious, and appropriately challenging for kids and adults alike! Cowboy Up, Peanut inspires us to step up into the moment and "do it scared" as the old adage goes. Growing up, my dad often told me to "toughen up cupcake"- but I will absolutely tell my boys to "Cowboy up" instead 💙

The cowboy themed jargon and puns brought our family right into the story and kept us entertained, laughing at the idea of kicking steaming cow pies! Immediately invested and entertained, even my 2-year-old stayed quiet, paying attention throughout the tale. My 5 year old just learned to read and had no issue reading this story out loud. It was actually easier for him to sound out the slang (ie. "fer") and knew from context clues what the words meant, immediately informing us what he knew the other word to be. I loved seeing that growth and confidence in him!

The message within the story is the best part: often, us creatures are afraid of the unknown, imagining made up scenarios and worst cases that never actually arise. Sadly, friends become foes and adversaries before introductions can even be made. By villianizing the other unknown, we rob our own futures and create undue anxiety where there is no current danger. Telling our mind to "cowboy up" is the reorientation needed to remember what is true, actually happening, and that we can be brave and strong no matter what arises. Cowboys work hard, gaining experiential muscles that remind them the next time something hard arise that they have already achieved great feats and can do it again! Love that!

The kids spent almost as much time looking over the real picture of peanut working than they did reading the story! They loved those additions!

Thank you to Gallop Books LLC and NetGalley for this ARC!

Cute, adorable, and silly! I even laughed at one part! I love the illustrations! The art style fits perfectly!

A sweet book written in colloquial 'cowboyese' that will be fun for kids and parents! This is the story of Peanut, a horse who is learning to herd cattle! He's afraid of everything and gets is all wrong...which will keep little ones laughing and parents entertained. The illustrations are lovely and the book really speaks to what it means to be brave! The 'nonfiction' section at the end (which explains cattle herding) seemed extraneous to me...I would have liked to have seen the book end with Peanut's story! Also...what's the deal with Peanut's 'right eye?' I didn't understand that part at all...is that a cowboy thing I just wouldn't understand?

Super cute book with a great lesson! Read with my 8 year old boy who loves horses. The illustration was spot on and added context to the story. Go Peanut!

Cowboy Up, Peanut! is a super cute, hilarious book with a great lesson on bravery! 🌵🐮 I read this with my 3-year-old son and my nephews (8 & 12). My horse-obsessed 8-year-old nephew loved it, and my 3 year old was captivated by the art—especially the real photo of Peanut at the end! 📸🐴 An encouraging, fun family read! 💙✨

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. These thoughts and opinions are completely my own.
When my 3-year-old was asked what he thought of the book, he said "Can we read that again?"
This book is about a horse who often finds himself afraid. Over the course of the story he ends up in situations which scare him, but he learns how to be brave.
I love that this uses the example of a horse being afraid of cows, because it shows that something doesn't have to be bigger or scary looking for you to be afraid, and that you can still face your fears and overcome them.
No language. No spice, obviously.