Gettin' In The Game! Charlie Plays Ball by Ree Drummond

CHARLIE LIVES ON A RANCH.

EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT LIVING ON A RANCH IS REALLY HARD WORK. ESPECIALLY FOR RANCH DOGS.

It's true, Charlie is a ranch dog. Does he herd cows? Does he guard the stock from coyotes all night without a wink of sleep?

Not so much. Watching cows graze all day makes Charlie sleepy. Watching cows graze all night makes Charlie sleep.

Charlie needs a lot of naps.

But Charlie has a job--an important job. He's a narrator.

That's right! That's Charlie's authentic voice that tells us what goes on down on the ranch. And without Charlie, no one would have a clue what a ranch dog has to do.

Today the kids are all home, and after a hearty ranch breakfast and some chores, they're all ready to play ball (Yep. We work hard and we play hard down here.)

A football comes out and the two teams chase up and down the meadow. The quarterback puts the ball in the air. It's a long pass, and the receiver goes for it. So does Charlie.

HE DROPS THE BALL. (SNIFF! SNIFF!).

DOES THAT MEAN IT'S MINE?

UH OH!!

Charlie is tackled from all sides. OOOFF! What was he thinking?

But Charlie is soothed by belly rubs from all the tackles and by the sight of a tray of time-out snacks.

YEP! FOOTBALL IS MY FAVORITE, ALL RIGHT!

But when the soccer ball and the baseball come out of the equipment bag, Charlie's got game--for both of them. . . until Mama calls them all in to eat. What's on the menu, mom? Spaghetti and....

MEATBALLS?

MY VERY FAVORITE BALL OF ALL.

Ranch Woman Ree Drummond's Charlie Plays Ball (Charlie the Ranch Dog) (Harper, 2015) gives her floppy-eared narrator a chance to do the play by play in her latest picture book, illustrated  again by Diane deGroat, whose adorable Basset hound Charlie gamely tags along after the ballplayers while trying to keep his eyes open. Nobody does appealing animal characters with more personality than De Groat, and chef Drummond dishes up an appended recipe for spaghetti and homemade meatballs with all the fixin's and passes the (meat) balls with the best of them.

Fans of Drummond's Charlie picture books should sniff out his I-Can-Read stories, such as Charlie the Ranch Dog: Stuck in the Mud (I Can Read Book 1), Charlie the Ranch Dog: Charlie's New Friend (I Can Read Book 1), Charlie the Ranch Dog: Where's the Bacon? (I Can Read Book 1), and Charlie the Ranch Dog: Charlie Goes to the Doctor (I Can Read Book 1).

Cowdog Babysitter: Charlie and the New Baby by Ree Drummond

MAMA IS RUBBING MY BELLY.

AHHHH! LIFE DOESN'T GET MUCH BETTER!

IT'S GOOD TO BE KING OF THE RANCH.

Charlie the Ranch Dog has it made in the shade--which is where he prefers to be in midday. He's petted, coddled, and doted upon properly, considering his regal status as senior cowdog.

But wait! Where is everybody going? What about the rest of that belly rub?

It seems that ranch work has intervened. Mama and the kids go off and quickly return carrying--a calf!

Charlie has never seen that happen in all his cowdog career. And would you ever....?

They take the weak little calf right into the shed and put it in---Charlie's own bed! And tuck him in warmly.

HEY! THAT'S MY BLANKET!

Mama and the kids bustle off and mix and stir up some stuff. They pour it into a big bottle and put a big nipple on it!

Charlie watches the little calf drink all his milk while listening to his own stomach rumbling. Nobody seems to notice. And then--the unkindest cut of all--Charlie has to sleep in the floor of the shed while the calf sleeps sweetly in Charlie's own bed!

But Charlie is abruptly awakened at dawn with the calf licking his face affectionately.

It's not so bad being a baby sitter, and soon Mama and the kids come in and congratulate Charlie on his caretaking, with a few belly rubs included.

It is all in a day's work for a diligent ranch dog in Ree Drummond's latest, Charlie and the New Baby (Charlie the Ranch Dog) (Harper, 2014). There are no surprises here for fans of the lazy but self-congratulatory canine hero of this series, but as always Diane deGroat's droll portrayal of Charlie's displacement anxiety flesh out this slender story with charm and good humor. Other books by "Pioneer Woman" Dee Drummond are Charlie the Ranch Dog Charlie and the Christmas Kitty (Charlie the Ranch Dog) and Charlie Goes to School (Charlie the Ranch Dog) and Drummond's and the I-Can-Read Charlie titles.

Headmaster Charlie: Charlie Goes to School by Ree Drummond

OH, HELLO! CHARLIE THE RANCH DOG HERE.

THINGS ARE SURE BUSY AROUND THE OLD HOMESTEAD TODAY!

As usual, Charlie the Ranch Dog is only too happy to help. Charlie's expertise is, of course, focused on keeping an eye upon everyone's work until he is overtaken by a nap. Daddy and Cowboy Josh are about their tasks, and Charlie pronounces them properly and diligently employed.

But Mama and the kids are inside, just sitting around the big table. What's with that?

THIS PLACE IS CERTAINLY FALLING APART WITHOUT ME!

HEY! CHALKBOARD! BOOKS ALL OVER!

WHY, I DO BELIEVE THEY'RE DOING SCHOOL!

As always, Charlie can't rest (although he can still think about it) until he is right in the middle of everything. But Mama is unusually stern about keeping the kids on task. She gives Charlie a teacherly hairy eyeball which convinces him that she doesn't require his help!

But wait! There are some unschooled animals around this ranch who could surely do with some edification and education, and Charlie has just the mature experience to instruct them. Charlie has an unusual burst of energy, rounds up some horses, Kitty, fellow ranch dog Suzie, and puppy Walter, and ranch school is in session!

Of course, Charlie has a little trouble disciplining his charges (hilarity ensues) in Charlie Goes to School (Harper, 2013), the latest in Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond'sr Charlie series. Although this one is a little short on plot, Diane De Groat's totally beguiling illustrations of Charlie and his rowdy classroom crew are charming and funny enough to fill in any gaps in the storytelling. True to form, Ree Drummond appends a ranch-hearty dessert recipe for strawberry oat bars that will make even a non-Basset hound drool.

For beginning readers, pair this one with Drummon's I-Can-Read Charlie saga, Charlie the Ranch Dog: Where's the Bacon? (I Can Read Book 1) for more homespun fun.