Rowdy Randy, the feisty heroine in Casey Rislov's picture book, is a cowgirl fly. The goal is to prove that she is the toughest cowgirl in flight, fancying herself as "the greatest outlaw."
  Her brazen cowgirl attitude defies cattle, fish, and any tough days, but what she really needs is to lead a team of outlaws, despite her pride in being a loner and her inability to rustle up some comrades. 
  Beautiful, big, bright color illustrations will prove captivating to adult and child alike, providing a whimsical embellishment to the story of a fly who is too daring for her own good. Cowboy lingo pervades the tale and adds to the fun story.
  Packed with action and the unexpected, Rowdy Randy is highly recommended for young buckaroos looking for something different in the way of Western-themed action.

"Rowdy Randy, a horsefly who calls herself the "toughest cowgirl around," is undeterred by her small size.  Rislov's (Imagination Bigger Together, 2017, etc.) phrasing emphasizes the Western setting, often employing alliteration ("best buckaroo"; "dangerous desperado"). The author clearly portrays Randy's attitude and cowgirl abilities.  Pullen's (Hockey Hero, 2015, etc.) textured and colorful illustrations offer realistic animal portraits and rich landscape scenes, often spanning two pages."

Anyone can be what they want to be. All they need is alittle bit of willpower, stamina and a certain amount of know-how anddetermination to achieve their dreams. In fact, even a horsefly can be acowgirl. She lovesto round up her own critters: horses, dogs, cattle, rainbow trouts, humans andso many others. That is, this sly horsefly-turned-cowgirl knows how to chargein, catch her target off guard and take a little sustenance before moving on toher next target. That's what horseflies do, after all.
 Casey Rislov's picture book story, Rowdy Randy, is acharming exploration of the life and creatures of a rugged western cattleranch. With colorful and exciting illustrations, this story explores the manycreatures that roam the plains, the creatures that make handy targets for thoseannoying little horseflies. But, from a horsefly's perspective, this storytakes an interesting twist, creating a cowgirl adventure from one lonelyhorsefly-turned-cowgirl. The young reader will love this adventure as theylearn about life on the plains, following a large cattle roundup, and thehorsefly-turned-cowgirl that lays claim to the multiple targets on the roundup. 
 This is a fun, adventurous story that is both educational and inspirational.