 | This article consists almost entirely of a plot summary. (June 2016) |
 Hank the Cowdog logo | |
| Author | John R. Erickson |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Gerald L. Holmes |
| Cover artist | Gerald L. Holmes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's fiction |
| Publisher | Maverick Books (original) Puffin Books (reprints) Editorial Sudamericana (Spanish) |
| Published | 1983 – current |
| Media type | Print, ebook, audiobook |
| No. of books | 81 |
Hank the Cowdog is a long-running, ongoing series of children's books written by John R. Erickson and illustrated originally by Gerald L. Holmes, and later by Nikki Earley.[1] The books follow Hank, a dog who views himself as the "Head of Ranch Security". Hank suffers a superiority complex, and thinks he is smarter than everybody else; his intelligence is limited to that of the average dog.[2] In each book Hank and other characters must deal with several events, issues and mysteries that occur at their Texas Panhandle home in Ochiltree County. The name of the ranch is never mentioned in any of the stories. The series began in 1982, with a couple of short stories about Hank and his friends; since then, 80 printed books and seven audio-only books have been published. Hank the Cowdog was previously published via Maverick Books, with Puffin Books holding the current American publishing rights in English. Each book features songs that Erickson performs on the audiobook editions. The series has received awards and critical acclaim, and the books have sold more than eight million copies worldwide. It has been published in several languages including Spanish, Danish, Persian, and Chinese. In the 1980s, the first book was adapted into an animated segment for CBS Storybreak.[3]
Teaching programs are available for the series via Maverick Books and a story entitled The Case of the Dancing Cowboy was serialized in 2002, in several American newspapers.[4]
- ^ "Ex-cowboy spins darn good yarn". Deseret News (subscription required). June 1, 2004. Archived from the original on March 29, 2015. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
- ^ Whitlock, Linda (May 24, 2007). "GIVE KIDS THE GIFT OF READING". Roanoke Times (subscription required). Archived from the original on July 17, 2014. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
- ^ "Hank the Cowdog". IMDb. 4 May 1985. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
- ^ Woolridge, Cathy (January 6, 2002). "News-Press to feature farm dog Mondays". St. Joseph News-Press (subscription required). Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved 16 July 2014.