They Call Me Old Blue

During the great cattle-drive era of the late 1800s, Old Blue became the most trusted longhorn lead steer in the herds of pioneering Texas rancher Charles Goodnight. When thousands of cattle thundered north toward railheads and growing towns, it was Blue's calm instincts-and not the cowboys' feeble efforts-that kept the drives moving safely over prairies, across rivers, through storms, and away from hungry predators.

Yet through the decades, Blue's remarkable story faded into myth. Cowboys claimed they did all the hard work, and history books focused on the men, not the animals who made the West possible. Then, in 1998, a weathered packet of pages surfaced: a mysterious manuscript written with a bold, unforgettable perspective. Author Preston Lewis, a Spur Award-winning storyteller of the American frontier, recognized it at once-Old Blue had written his own "autobiography," a firsthand account of the cattle trails from the steer who actually led them. Blending humor, authentic Western history, and animal-centered adventure, this book opens the gate to a world where talking critters tell true stories-tales often overlooked by traditional accounts.

They Call Me Old Blue debuts the Old West Critters Collection, an engaging new series that invites young readers to explore America's past through the animals who shaped it: longhorns, buffalo, horses, and even camels.