Both kids climbed into my lap as we read The Call of the Cowboy. They enjoyed the story, and they immediately recognized themselves in the cowboy, which was great, because that's what I wanted them to do. :-) I liked the gentle instruction to kids that this book provided, which was that there are times when noise is appropriate, and times when it's not. I liked how the cowboy was not condemned by his friends for his noisy ways, and instead removed themselves from a situation that they were not enjoying. I liked how the cowboy reflects on his actions, and how in the end they all came together for some good, noisy, fun.