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Lexie the Word Wrangler

Author Rebecca Van Slyke

Illustrated by Jessie Hartland

Hardcover

$18.99 US

Penguin Young Readers | Nancy Paulsen Books

11.44"W x 9.38"H x 0.35"D (29.1 x 23.8 x 0.9 cm) | 15 oz (425 g) | 24 per carton

On sale Apr 04, 2017 | 40 Pages | 9780399169571

Age 5-8 years | Grades K-3

Reading Level: Lexile AD600L

Sales rights: World

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This clever celebration of words and their meanings features a strong cowgirl who wrangles words alongside cattle.

Lexie is the best wrangler west of the Mississippi—word wrangler, that is. She watches over baby letters while they grow into words and ties shorter words together into longer ones; she herds words into sentences, hitches sentences together, and pens them all in to tell a story. But lately, something seems off at the ranch. First the d goes missing from her bandana, leaving her with a banana to tie around her neck, and soon afterward every S-T-A-R in the sky turns into R-A-T-S. There’s no doubt about it—there’s a word rustler causing this ruckus, and Lexie plans to track him down . . . even if it means riding her horse through the sticky icing of a desert that’s suddenly become a giant dessert.

This fantastic spin on “cowboy” stories populates Lexie’s ranch with lively letters and words, alongside the typical cattle and horses, and stars a smart, confident, charismatic heroine. Rebecca Van Slyke’s creative, silly wordplay pairs perfectly with Jessie Hartland’s lively illustrations, and there’s even a glossary of helpful terms for up-and-coming word wranglers.

* “Colorful language abounds in the clever, playful text, which will amuse kids. . . . Teachers, meanwhile, will appreciate the references to compound words, anagrams, and other wordplay. Created in a rather childlike style that perfectly suits the story’s droll, understated tone, Hartland’s expressive gouache paintings include enough detail to help kids visualize the scenes, while illustrating the action with considerable wit. Highly recommended for reading aloud, just for the fun of it.”—Booklist, starred review

* “Lexie is a cowgirl, but she wrangles words, not cattle—a concept that Van Slyke and Hartland explore with droll wordplay and bold, folk art–style artwork. . . . Luckily for readers, Van Slyke and Hartland deliver linguistic delights on every page. Compound words, anagrams, word chains, puns—is there anything Lexie (and this book) can’t do?”—Publishers Weekly, starred review

* “Hartland's quirky gouache illustrations, reminiscent of Maira Kalman's work, play up the Western-style humor. . . . Here's hoping Van Slyke and Hartland will round up some more nifty yarns, as this is clever wordplay to share with kids.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

REBECCA VAN SLYKE is a second-grade teacher in Lynden, Washington, and has an MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She is the author of the picture books Mom School, Dad School, Lexie the Word Wrangler, Lana Lynn Howls at the Moon, and Monster’s Trucks. View titles by Rebecca Van Slyke

Jessie Hartland View titles by Jessie Hartland

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