Books 33: Sheriff Ben Danny series

After reading almost 3 books (and ordered another one) I make this entry as I like these books and they are better than thought. (See also my previous book entry). It's about an orphaned handsome blond freckled boy "Danny", almost 12 yo in book #1 whose uncle is Sheriff Ben Parker. Overalls scenes depicted on 3 book covers but also there are some b&w illustrations with him and others in bibs in this and other books and also some quite good bibs scenes described in the texts. Cover illustrator: Nikolaus Moras, inside illustrations by Werner Heymann which are much more simple and different. Mid 70s. Plot is set in Arizona of the 1890s, language German.

A blond boy with wild hair first reminds me to John Philip Hogdon (on left) from Visit to a Chief's Son. I think I have to check more Wild Western books and movies and have to create a list entry of Western and similar movies with boys in overalls. (For now please try a blog search with keyword "Western"). Unfortunately there are rather few (good) and real Western movies showing boys in bibs and most of them are beige bibs. But back to this book series.

There are at least 8 books in this series. Author is "Sheriff Ben" (real name: Thomas Jeier) who also wrote another series also with girl(s) ("Rocky und Peggy", maybe with overalls as well, but I don't think so (Rocky is a boy, the later Sheriff Ben) and other real Cowboy stuff and travel guides.

Book 1: Dannys Streiche im Wilden Westen: (Pranks in the Wild West). No bibs on the cover. No good illustrations as well. Danny is shown from behind showing his suspenders but don't look like real bibs. There is an illustration of the Western Town where he lives and described that his blue overalls aren't clean anymore. The laundry shop run by a Chinese is next door and delivered the clean clothes. Danny has to pick up his female teacher at the train station and she is upset how dirty his bibs are.

Book 2: Danny und die Bankräuber: (bank robbers, pictured). Bibs on cover and inside. Sometimes in cowboy boots, sometimes barefoot. His uncle plugged his sheriff's star onto Danny's bibs. The plot is not as funny as in the first book but exciting. The kids are alone in town, including girls, and have to deal with the robbers.

Book 3: Danny rettet 666 Rinder (saving cattle) No bibs illustrations and no text.

Book 4: Danny überlistet Häuptling Krumme Nase (fools chief Crooked Nose). No bibs illustrations. Danny sleeping at least shirtless (illustrated) and stepping in his blue bibs without washing himself first.

Books 5: Danny wittert faule Tricks. One illustration with Danny in bibs (headshot) A riding scene probably in bibs but hardly to see. At the beginning Danny putting his hands behind the straps of his blue bibs. He doesn't know the answer of his female teacher.

Book 6: Danny jagt die "Schrecklichen Sieben" (chasing a gag): Danny's darkhaired friend Paul (about the same age) illustrated in bibs (headshot).

Book 7: Danny verfolgt den Goldgräber. (chasing gold digger) Blue bibs on the cover. Quite funny. the president wants to visit their town. Danny's friend Paul (dark haired) is depicted in bibs and barefoot. I don't remember bibs mentioning inside.

Book 8: Danny und die Flußpiraten (river pirates). Danny wearing beige bibs. Good illustrations. Also riding in bibs. Few mentionings in the text. Page 8 describing his looks, his overalls are bleached (not mentioned here their color) Page 60 a farm man in dirty bibs with his open bib down. Scene reminds me to Huck Finn. Exciting plot about a steamboat even on the Mississippi. Few scenes in the Western town.

Danny looking much older in later books and as far as I remembered is that he is later 14 (?) in book 7? But he's still 12 in Book 8. I have to recheck it. There was another book announced in book 8 but obviously no more published. I wonder why on the author's website he didn't even mentioned this book series. Maybe just as it's OOP. But why not mention this famous and good vintage series?



As said I like these books. Good description of the kids of this small town whose are kids of the town's different workers. Funny plots and scenes at school etc. Will be continued here.

"Overalls" in German usually means/meant coveralls. But they are overalls. By coincidence there's a reality Western series "Abenteuer Wilder Westen" currently running on channel Kika (teen girl and boys, but no bibs scenes there yet).

Also available in Dutch.