Yippie-i-oh. That is the life for me. A cowboy is who I was meant to be.

Leroy Ninker wants to be a cowboy–to be a cowboy, he needs a horse. Enter: Maybelline. An old horse with four teeth and four hooves (a perfect match) that runs on compliments and grub and doesn’t stand being alone.

As part of the Tales from Deckawoo Drive series, it’s certainly a bit longer than the other Mercy Watson books, which was a bit of a surprise. And while it starts out a bit sweet (Leroy isn’t picky and he’s more than willing to work with what he’s given), it goes somewhat over the top with the endless weird compliments (to a horse).

On top of that, despite the length, it doesn’t really go anywhere. Unlike Francine Poulet Meets the Ghost Raccoon and Where Are You Going, Baby Lincoln?, there’s not really much of a story here. Those being the only three I’ve read, I would say this is easily the weakest. Still a decent enough read I suppose and the kids certainly enjoyed it.