Armadillo Rodeo
By Jan Brett G.P. Putnam’s Sons (1995) ISBN: 0399228039
In Armadillo Rodeo, Bo, a curious armadillo, gets easily distracted by a young girl’s red cowboy boots. Bo mistakes Harmony Jean’s red boots for a red armadillo that he wishes to be his new friend. Bo’s curiosity gets the best of him and he leaves his mother and brothers behind to follow the red “armadillo.” On his adventure, Bo follows his new friend onto a bucking bronco and gets bucked off. Enjoying his ride, Bo continues to follow the boots into the bar-b-q area and eventually makes it to the rodeo’s dance. All the while, Bo’s mother is desperately searching for Bo. At the end of the day, Harmony Jean kicks off her new, red boots and Bo runs up to them asking what’s next. Without a response, he knocks over the boots, goes inside, smells them, and realizes they are not an armadillo. Just as he has this realization, Bo’s mother appears and takes him home.
Quantitative: Lexile Level-670L; ATOS--3.4
Qualitative: Armadillo Rodeo’s complexity stems from its introduction to new vocabulary related to the rodeo and Western culture. The visuals offer room for filling in the second narrative that relates to Bo’s mother’s search. On each page, illustrations on the margins show Bo’s mother looking for her lost son by asking all the other animals in the area. A young reader would need to interpret these interactions and connect them to the main narrative. This book would be best for 2nd -4th graders.
Content Area: English; Social Science—U.S. History
Common Core Standards: RL.3.3, 7
Curriculum Suggestions:
Armadillo Rodeo offers an opportunity for teachers to examine Western wear, rodeos, and animals that can be found in the Western region. This can be done through a comprehensive unit on the West. A unit such as this could be attached to Western expansion and the culture that has continued from that expansion. Local fairs tend to have rodeos—why does this continue? Exploration of the geographical region and its ecosystem could be included to better understand the expansive nature of Western culture. Because of the language and need for background knowledge, this book would be best for students in 3rd grade.
Additional/Digital Content:
*Meets the “Reading for Pleasure Picture Book” requirement
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