An Outlaw Thanksgiving by Emily Arnold McCully

My aunt sent this to my little sisters year ago. I have never really read it because I wasn't that interested in reading kids books when I was 17. 

Someone pulled it out last week though, so I surreptitiously stole it to take pictures of. Kids books are not safe around me. Some time I will tell you about the Tasha Tudor book in the eye doctor's waiting room. 

It is the story of a little girl, Clara, heading west with her mother to meet her father in California.

This is the kind of book that would have appealed to the history nerd in me. It is too wordy for little, little kids, but 8 and up seem to enjoy it.  

Emily Arnold McCully's pictures are gorgeously watercolor-y. 

I adore maps.

(The librarian in me would like to point out that it is extremely irresponsible to place books in the snow. Don't do it! Especially with someone else's book. Ahem...)

Clara, checking out the wanted posters while she waited for the train. 

As the train headed into the Rockies, it got snowed in. 

Ironically we were a little snowed in yesterday when I was taking pictures. We had planned to spend the day in Ottawa, but it was slushy and raining and snowing and 32 degrees, so we had a lazy stay-home Sunday after meeting instead.

Sleighs arrive to take passengers to nearby hotels. But Clara's mother, who is a bit of a worrier won't go to the hotels because... bedbugs. 

Finally, Mr. Jones, who Clara had befriended earlier, invited them to visit some friends of his for Thanksgiving. 

These pictures aren't great, but it was really cold, windy, and snowy out there. So I wasn't hanging around for perfection. 

It was such a long way that they had to spend the night in a snug cabin along the way.

Finally they arrived in Brown's Hole, 

...to a well-bred welcoming committee.

Clara's mother is pleasantly surprised by their elegance. She congratulates herself on the quality of their company. 

Clara is enjoying herself, but... she thinks Bob looks familiar. And then she remembers the wanted posters. 

Bob is Butch Cassidy! Being wise, Clara doesn't tell her mother. 

Butch Cassidy asks Clara to dance and roars with laughter when she asks him if he plans on robbing their train. He says he is just giving thanks today and has no intention of robbing anything. 

Clara and her mother finally meet her father in Ogden, Utah. She decides to tell him about Butch Cassidy after they get to California.