Since 1926, Pelican Publishing Company has been committed to publishing books of quality and permanence that enrich the lives of those who read them.
Too Tall Thomas is a cowboy to his bones. When he finishes a long trail drive and begins to make his way home, he finds that life on the grub line is not all it’s cracked up to be. Though the work is hard and the food satisfies his hunger, it’s never as good as riding the range.
Texas Jack, the jackrabbit, sez that after the Civil War, millions of Longhorn cattle roamed the plains of Texas, and that cowboys would herd the cattle and bring them to markets 1,000 miles to the North. This is what they called a Trail Drive.
From the front cover right on through to the last page, Susan Holt Kralovansky has created a rootin’, tootin’, cowboy Christmas extravaganza! Drawing on her skills as a children’s educator, librarian, and fiber artist, Kralovansky transforms the traditional Twelve Days of Christmas with a Texas flair.
Vaqueros were cowboys who roamed across the plains of South America for many years before American cowboys began to appear. A chihuahua named Chi Chi helps tell the story of these proud men, who herded cattle first brought by the explorers in the 1500s. This cute little chihuahua is along for the entire story, from the time the cattle strayed away from their owners to the time the rich Charros claimed them as their own and hired Indians to herd them. Hardcover.
Most people have heard of the famous siege at the Alamo, and have heard stories of the lives lost there. This informative historical novel for middle readers puts a human face on this battle. Paperback.
The story of the Alamo encompasses far more than a thirteen-day siege that ended in a battle on March 6, 1836. In Voices of the Alamo, that story begins in the 1500s with the Native Americans who inhabited the area we now call Texas. Page by page, different voices—among them Spanish, Tejano, Texian, Mexican, and American—are heard, as they describe history from their individual viewpoints. Hardcover.
An assortment of friendly desert animals greets a young cowgirl as she heads out West on her pony. Along the way, she says “Howdy!” to a scampering jackrabbit, a howling coyote, and a charging buffalo as she trots farther down the trail. Readers are introduced to these regional critters of the West before arriving to the surprise—and endearing—ending.
Young Willie has always wanted to be a Texas Ranger. But the Rangers are lean and tough and very serious, and Willie smiles and whistles all the time and has a belly that just about covers up his snakeskin belt. Willie doesn’t even look tough in his Stetson and boots. One Fourth of July so hot the fence posts wither, Sidewinder Slim and Corkscrew Slade sneak in and swipe the townfolk’s ice-cold soda pop and ice cream. When even the rough, tough Texas Rangers can’t apprehend the varmints, it’s up to Willie and his whistle to bring them to justice.
Not even Slim Jim Watkins can have a ranch of his own without a brand. Will he ever get a brand of his own? Will he ever get a ranch of his own? Maybe he will, because, after all, he does have a “can do” attitude. Hardcover.
In the third book of this popular series, Slim Jim Watkins discovers that running a ranch of his own can be downright lonely. Sure, he passes the time by telling stories to his horse, Bonecrusher, but that is just not the same as having a pardner of his own. Hardcover.
This beautifully illustrated, amusing story with its anticipatory suspense will delight kids and grown-ups alike, and everyone will be charmed by the nightly entourage of desert animals who play a key role. That is, until Slim Jim Watkins learns a thing or two and starts to sleep with his boots on. Hardcover.
Cowgirl Gabby does not sit around looking as pretty as a wild flower. Slim Jim Watkins’ new pardner proves sweet-talking works when the cowboys can’t figure things out for themselves. Hardcover.
Ima Hogg has a big problem. Her father is traveling to Austin, and she’s in charge of running the house and watching her little brother, Tom. Ima knows she has to listen to her father, but Tom and the animals on their farm aren’t going to make that easy.
In this clever take on the traditional “Night Before Christmas” poem, a Texas Longhorn believes that he can guide Santa’s sleigh just as well as any reindeer. If a reindeer can fly, Willy believes a longhorn can, too. Despite the doubts of the other cattle, Willy will not give up on his dream.