Cinder-Bubba: Bubba the Cowboy Prince by Helen Ketteman

It’s National Bubba Day, and do I have a bodacious Bubba book for you!

It’s Helen Ketteman’s Bubba, The Cowboy Prince: A Fractured Texas Tale, a terrific Texas take-off on the Cinderella story, complete with fairy godcow.

Bubba is a much put down and overworked cowhand at the merciless beck and call of his wicked step-daddy and his two shiftless step-brothers Dwayne and Milton. Summoned to shine up the wagon for their trip to the big hoedown that night, Bubba’s wish to go along is quashed by the fat and lazy heirs of the ranch.

Now Bubba is an enterprising young cowboy, and he aims to get himself to that shindig and dance with the beauteous Lurleen, the richest rancher in those parts. Not only is Lurleen a big-haired beauty of a Texas cowgirl, but she’s tired of working her spread solo and is known to be hankering for a prince of a fella who’s also as cute as a steer’s ear to be her cowboy consort.

Knowin’ all this and dispirited at his lot in life, Bubba rides a faithful steer off to his favorite moping place among the dogies, where he meets up with a supportive fairy godcow who promises to get him to that shindig and into the arms of Miss Lurleen. Changing his smelly cowpoke clothes and manured clodhoppers into dazzling cowboy gear, the fairy godcow turns his bovine mount into a fine cowhorse and sends him galloping off to the party, where he becomes Miss Lurleen's partner and wins her heart immediately with his good looks and good-hearted charm.

But of course, midnight comes, and Bubba’s blasted right out of his boots and back into his stinky work clothes. In disgrace he hops on his steer and rides away in despair of ever seeing the lovely Lurleen again.

But the faithful Lurleen still has his footwear and will not rest until she finds the cowboy who fills those boots, When she comes ‘round to the wicked stepdaddy’s spread, Dwayne and Milton are out of luck and Bubba rides off into the sunset with his lady love Lurleen.

For Texas-sized laughs there’s no Bubba like Bubba, The Cowboy Prince. Ketteman’s spoofy text and Warhola’s comic and telling illustrations make this one of the best of the Cinderfella genre for kids and grownups alike.