Wyoming A people’s passion Heartfelt aspirations Praying, dreaming, seeking more. People creasing the prairie carpet, Crossing carousel streams of cottonwood. People challenging the searing heat of summer And the brittle cold of winter. People taming the land with Dust devil determination And barbed wire.
Eugene M. Gagliano
If you’re reading your way through the 50 states in picture books and finally get to the last in alphabetical order, these are two excellent choices for learning about Wyoming.
C is for Cowboy: A Wyoming Alphabet and Four Wheels West: A Wyoming Number Book are both written by Eugene Gagliano, a man who actually lives in Wyoming. Each book contains loads of information about the least-populated state.
The items chosen for each letter of the alphabet and each number (1-10 and multiples of ten from 20-100) are introduced in four-line rhymes. A more detailed explanation is given in a sidebar.
The illustrations, by Susan Guy, are sometimes stunningly beautiful and sometimes have a dreamlike quality.
Her animals and plants are stylistic yet accurate.
The scope of subjects offers something for everyone. From the first woman governor to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid. From the state bird and flower to the elusive jackalope. Native Americans, National Parks, cowboys, sheepherders, and ranchers.
