cover image Paws McDraw

Paws McDraw

Connah Brecon. Tiger Tales, $16.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-68010-035-8

Paws McDraw, a bearlike cowboy, is the de facto protector of the Wild West town of Bunny Hill. But while Paws is “quick on the draw,” he relies on a pencil—not a pistol—for his heroics, drawing a crew of elephant firefighters to combat a blaze or doodling a bucket on a rope to rescue a bunny named Timmy from a well. Paws’s talents are put to the test when the Rascally Raccoon Gang arrives, intent on stealing the sweets from the town’s “crazy cupcake carnival.” The lasso and jail that Paws draws into existence don’t slow the gang down, and he’s out of ideas. Brecon (There’s This Thing) uses a folksy tone (“Before you could say hot-diggity-dog, Paws had those rascally raccoons... all locked up!”) to pull readers into his quirky western setting, and dialogue balloons and visual jokes in the background pack additional comedy into the scenes. The trick Paws uses to defeat the raccoons comes out of nowhere, but in a setting as goofy as this one, it kind of works. Ages 3–8. [em]Agency: Bright Group. (Sept.) [/em]