Books published by publisher Maverick Books (TX)

Hank the Cowdog has seen dry summers in his years as the Head of Ranch Security, but nobody on the ranch has seen a drought like this. Ponds have dried up, the creek is down to a trickle, pastures have turned to burned toast, and the cows are kicking up clouds of dust. Then, to top it all off, Pete the Barncat hatches a dastardly plot to ruin Loper's birthday! The last thing the cowboys need is a prairie fire, but that's what they get, and it begins to look like the next roundup might be their last. What the ranch really needs is a good rain to bring back the grass . . . and Loper's good mood!

The National Ranching Heritage Center is proud to partner with Hank the Cowdog for Ranch Wildlife, the latest addition to the Ranch Life Learning series. Did you think that horses, cattle and cowdogs are the only animals you’d find on a ranch? Think again! In these pages, you’ll learn about the many kinds of wild animals you might see if you spent a few days on Hank’s ranch in the Texas Panhandle. Coyotes, buzzards, porcupines, rabbits, rattlesnakes, and burrowing owls all make frequent appearances in the Hank the Cowdog books, but how about the other important animals that you don’t hear about as often? You guessed it, Hank knows all about them too, and here’s your chance to learn from the best!

A terrible winter storm strikes the Texas Panhandle. Down at Slim's place, Hank and Drover listen to the wind howling outside, watching the snow pile up outside. The phone rings. It's High Loper. Baby Molly has a bad cough and needs medicine. Can Hank go out into the blizzard and make it all the way to Headquarters with the cough medicine? Or will he be captured and eaten by Rip and Snort?

When Hank hears a rumor that the sky is going to fall from the ranch's resident rooster, he is naturally a bit skeptical. But then a report from Pete the Barncat and a strange dream seem to support the theory, and Hank realizes that he'd better take the threat seriously. After all, as Head of Ranch Security, it's his job to protect the ranch from any and all potential danger. So Hank decides that he'll do whatever it takes to prevent the sky from falling on his beloved ranch. Even if it means getting into trouble with Sally May (again)...

It's Valentine's Day on the ranch but bachelor-cowboy Slim Chance doesn't know it. Sally May tells him to forget about the cows and "Go to town and buy a nice gift for Miss Viola!" Slim hates to shop, but he goes to town (with the dogs, of course) and buys a nice box of candy for Miss Viola. But on the way to Viola's house, Hank and Drover take an interest in the candy and...will there be a Happy Valentine's Day on the ranch? Slim sings a bachelor's opinion in his "Valentine's Song."

To Cheat or Not To Cheat That is just one of the questions to be answered on the ranch! While interrogating J.T. Cluck, will Hank be able to figure out what scary creatures are planning an attack on the ranch? After Hank lures Pete the Barncat into making a foolish bet for scraps, would Pete try to cheat the Head of Ranch Security? Will Truth and Justice (Hank) win in the end? Hear Hank sing the hilarious song, Don't Get Your News From a Chicken.

Little Alfred is having a hard time accepting his new baby sister, Molly. Hank tries to give him some advice, but Alfred decides to run away from home. It is up to Hank the Cowdog, Head of Ranch Security, to save Alfred from the coyotes, bobcats, and other monsters that lurk in the "dark unchanted forest." USA Today calls the hilarious Hank the Cowdog series "...the best family entertainment in years."

It's Hank's job to clear the ranch of all intruders--and that includes gophers. But when Hank's efforts causes a stampede in the middle of the cattle roundup, Loper decides that he wants Hank to learn some manners, so he's sending him to--gulp!--Obedience School. To Hank, this sounds like torture, complete with dank dungeons, torches burning on the walls, and menacing instructors who wield etiquette like weapons. Will he survive?