Ravenstone Press: Twister Twyla - The Kansas Cowgirl

Ravenstone Press *Stories of Kansas and the Great Plains*
Twister Twyla - The Kansas Cowgirl now also included in Kansas Tall Tales By Jerri Garretson, illustrated by Diane A. Dollar

	Another Rip-Roarin' Tall Tale from Kansas Twyla started out small, racing the wind in the south pasture, then roping dust devils to keep in the corral. She went on to lasso tornadoes and ride Old Stormy in the Flint Hills Rodeo. This Kansas cowgirl joins the ranks of tall tale heroes as she rides her twisters in the rodeo career of the century. Come along for the ride! *Twister Twyla* also includes a list of websites about rodeos, tornadoes and dust devils, as well as a bibliography of children's picture books about each of these subjects!
Don't miss Jerri Garretson's third Kansas tall tale. Once you read her story, you'll agree. "No gal you'll ever see can ride the wind like Twyla."	Quotes From Twister Twyla “Now, Twyla was just a tiny tyke, no taller than a shock of Kansas wheat, when her Mama noticed something odd about her. Twyla loved the wind. Not a breeze, mind you, the strong prairie wind. She could scarcely talk yet but she ran outside in all kinds of weather to feel the wind in her hair, making a tousled mop of of her curls.” “What a ride it was, that twister roaring and Twyla singing at the top of her lungs, digging in her heels and wanting to go even faster. That twister was one mad fellow. No girl was going to get the best of him! But he hadn’t met up with the likes of Twyla before.”
Review of Twister Twyla “This is a large, softcover children’s story set in Kansas and with a topic sure to be popular among many small-fry—cowgirls and tornadoes. A little girl named Twyla loves the wind. Not just breezes, mind you, but the mighty Kansas prairie zephyrs. After she learned to ride, barrel race and rope, she began throwing a loop around dust devils. She worked her way up to lassoing a twister to ride around the barrels—no horse could go fast enough for her. We can follow her adventures leading up to a performance at the big Flint Hills Rodeo at Strong City not only with the story Jerri has written, but also with the black and white illustrations drawn by seasoned artist Diane Dollar, who has also worked with Jerri on that first book she did, Johnny Kaw, and on one young adult novel, Imagicat. “The story is delightful, the illustrations are nicely done (and might even be colored by the user if one is not careful) but this book goes even further. Once it has been concluded, there are a series of appendices that include an author’s note and definitions of dust devils, barrel racing, and the Flint Hills Rodeo; more children’s books about rodeo, cowboys and cowgirls, tornadoes, and Internet sources for these topics. “Altogether, this is not only a great read, it is a great place to start discussions about some very, very Kansas topics. “Recommended for all public library children’s collections and for all elementary school library media centers.” - Roy Bird, Kansas State Library, Kansas Libraries, April 2003.
	Publication date: April 2003 ISBN 0-9659712-5-2 32 pages, paperbound 8.5" x 11" $5.95 B&W line drawings Full color cover Order Twister Twyla from Ravenstone Press Order Twister Twyla from an Online Vendor Order Kansas Tall Tales (includes this story)
Click here for more information. Click here to purchase. $9.95.	Twister Twyla - The Kansas Cowgirl is now also available in an audio version on the Kansas Tall Tales audio CD. The CD presents all three of Jerri Garretson's Kansas Tall Tales, read for you by the author. Also included are: Johnny Kaw - The Pioneer Spirit of Kansas Kansas Katie - A Sunflower Tale and author notes for all three tales.

More information about Twyla's creators, Kansas, Tornadoes, Dust Devils and Rodeos:
Jerri Garretson
Diane A. Dollar
Kansas Links
Twister Twyla - themes links (tornadoes, dust devils, rodeos)
Tall Tale Bibliography

Last updated on February 20, 2008