Prolific children’s writer and illustrator David McPhail (he’s created more than 70 books) of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, has teamed up with first-time picture book author Anne Carter of Toronto to spin a rollicking cowboy fantasy. Tall in the Saddle is a child’s wish-fulfilling reverie about where Dad goes after he leaves home in the morning.

After playing cowboys, Dad leaves for work but, tellingly, he’s still wearing his 10-gallon hat and cowboy boots. His curious son follows on a tricycle to the end of the street. There, Dad climbs on a borrowed bike and, with a turn of the page, both bikes and riders are magically transformed into cowboys on wild horses, bucking and galloping with the best of them. Dad, a hero in his son’s eyes, deftly rustles up the neighbourhood bullies (“tattletale Jen and mean-mouth Ben”) and removes them from the centre of the action. Then father and son lead a herd of hungry cows to a watering hole, easily dispensing with nasty hooligans along the way. The adventure ends with a huge orange sunset, long shadows, and the dramatic crescendo appropriate to all self-respecting westerns.

Adding to the fun is the book’s design, a teasing word layout that invites readers to turn the pages. The fantasy is enhanced by McPhail’s dusty, colourful pictures. Both drawings and text reflect the overwhelming love of a child for his dad – and vice versa.