Amazon Category:  Children Publisher: Eakin Press ISBN-10:  1571686053 Type: Fiction Pages: 32 Copyright: 2002 Is Ima Hogg birthday present as fast as she thinks he is. Her brothers are sure an ostrich cannot possibly outrun their horses, but Ima is willing to race them anyway. Excerpt "A girl win a horse race? Ima Hogg's brothers don't think so. But Ima is bound and determined to prove them wrong. And she won't need a horse to do it. 'Ima and the Great Texas Ostrich Race' is great fun, spiced with authentic characters from Texas history. Eric Kimmel, author of Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins-a Caldecott Honor Book

School Library Journal
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3-While the great ostrich race is fiction, the "mettle" of Miss Ima is not. Daughter of the late-19th-century Texas governor James Hogg, Ima grew up to be Houston's-and Texas's-most beloved philanthropist. McManis takes a historical tidbit of ostriches in the governor's mansion in Austin and shows readers a 10-year-old Ima who is determined to best her taunting brothers by racing her Ossy against their fine quarter horses. Among the charming vernacular is this inspiration: "Dirt clogged my throat and eyes, but mettle filled my heart." Dupree's cartoon watercolors nicely complement McManis's description of Ima's pluck, and the quilt blocks (yellow rose, bluebonnet, lone star, etc.) in the corners of most paintings are an inspired touch. This tall tale not only fits Miss Ima's character but should also motivate youngsters to learn more about this fine, humble Texas woman.
John Sigwald, Unger Memorial Library, Plainview, TX
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