If you want your children to have a glimpse at ranch life, look no further than Hitchin’ Post and the 6B Ranch Kids, a wonderful picture book by Julie Barker and vibrantly illustrated by Carolyn Altman. Hitch is a rancher rabbit who lives with his friend Nick and his wife and three kids. The oldest boy is Bubba, the youngest is Bo, and in the middle is Sis. Hitch’s buddy is Bo. Like most younger brothers, Bo has a serious case of older brother worship. He wants to do everything Bubba does and he follows his older brother all over the ranch, watching Bubba rope and ride. Unfortunately, there are times when Bo is simply too young to do everything his brother does. One day, this is exactly what happens and Bo runs inside the house, crying to his mother. Sis tries to give him a hug but Bo angrily demands that she leave him alone which makes Sis burst into tears. Hitch comes to the rescue, giving Sis a very special job. Soon, Bo notices that his sister isn’t bothering him anymore and like any young brother, he follows her to see what she’s up to…

Hitchin’ Post and the 6B Ranch Kids is a great introduction for children to life on a ranch where there’s roping and riding and animals and plenty of chores as well as a time for having fun. Barker’s book also captures the complex relationship between siblings, especially when the youngest sibling hero-worships an older sibling and wants so desperately to grow up so he can do everything his older brother does, which we all know can’t always happen. Barker delivers a great story. Altman’s illustrations are lively, vibrant, and beautifully rendered. Each page is a burst of color and the close-ups of the children are winsome and convey plenty of character. Hands down, Hitchin’ Post and the 6B Ranch Kids is guaranteed to entertain and engage.

Bubba, Sis, and little Bo are the ranch kids at 6B Ranch. Hitchin’ Post, or Hitch for short, is the ranch’s cowboy jackrabbit, who takes special care of the three children of the ranch, especially the younger two. Bubba, the oldest, has important ranch duties. Bo, the youngest, is his shadow. But sometimes Bo can’t go along with Bubba. Sis, in the middle, likes to baby her little brother, but Bo doesn’t like that either. Between Bo’s fits of despair and Sis’s tears over Bo’s rejection, help is needed to resolve the situation. So Hitchin’ Post comes up with a solution that keeps the younger two content with chores of their own – looking after the baby animals.

Julie Barker’s picture book story, Hitchin’ Post and the 6B Ranch Kids (3) is the third book in the Hitchin’ Post series. Told in rhyming verse with colorful and cute illustrations, this story follows the children, mostly Bo, as they go through their daily routines on the ranch. There are a lot of lessons taught in this charming and fun story: the importance of keeping busy and feeling needed; the difficulties of being the oldest child or the youngest or even the middle child; that every job is important and needs to be done with care and consideration, even if it’s merely hugging the baby animals. Hitchin’ Post is a good friend for the children. As a cowboy jackrabbit, Hitchin’ Post is both a ranch hand and the children’s friend and mentor. This is a fun story about family ties and working together.