Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2019
While touring the Hogg Mansion in Houston, I was browsing books about early Texas life in the Gift Shop.As I thumbed through a book about Ima Hogg, I came across a story about the Hogg Ranch and its unusual animals. There I met a woman who was looking in the children's section and she related a fictionalized humorous children's book about Ima Hogg and an Ostrich on the ranch. As the book was now out of print, I managed to find a copy in a elementary school library. Since I am a retired geologist and have known about the Hogg Family's oil interests, I was curious on how this story related to Ima's life in Texas.
I found the book to be a hilarious account of a race involving a horse and an ostrich and Ima's love of animals. The illustrations are beautiful and complement the colorful story about Ima's contribution to Texas children and Texas history. It gives young children joy and love of a life of a woman who had to endure hardships as a young child and yet contributed so much to the State of Texas in her later life.
I have read all of the reviews on Amazon which almost entirely give this light and colorful children's story a 5 star rating. However, there is one review which does not do justice to Ms. McManis' excellent effort to relate fictional humor to this great Texas Woman. The reviewer obviously has not understood that this is a children's fictionalized humorous story in order to honor Ima Hogg not berate her..
I found the book to be a hilarious account of a race involving a horse and an ostrich and Ima's love of animals. The illustrations are beautiful and complement the colorful story about Ima's contribution to Texas children and Texas history. It gives young children joy and love of a life of a woman who had to endure hardships as a young child and yet contributed so much to the State of Texas in her later life.
I have read all of the reviews on Amazon which almost entirely give this light and colorful children's story a 5 star rating. However, there is one review which does not do justice to Ms. McManis' excellent effort to relate fictional humor to this great Texas Woman. The reviewer obviously has not understood that this is a children's fictionalized humorous story in order to honor Ima Hogg not berate her..