hank the cowdog the case of the haystack kitties

Sometimes when Hank says something particularly outlandish, Drover 'rolls his eyes around' although this could just be because he is scared or confused. In some cases, it seems that Drover is smarter than Hank and is simply trying to make Hank feel better about himself. However, in the few instances where Hank is not there and Drover is the only one to protect the ranch from an attack by coyotes, he stands his ground and faces his fear.

In instances where there is imminent danger Drover will always complain of his bad leg and usually slips away at great speed when Hank is not looking. Drover doesn't take the role of ranch security nearly as seriously as Hank does, but does make attempts, if only to impress Hank. Hank tends to think of Drover as lazy, since Hank often finds him 'sleeping on the job'.

* Drover (sidekick): Drover is a 'little white mutt with a stub tail' that often complains of a bad leg when put under pressure. In the cartoon, Hank was played by Frank Welker. There have been a few occasions when Hank has abandoned his role on the ranch when he feels unappreciated but generally when push comes to shove Hank will always do the right thing, regardless of his own fears or misgivings. Often Hank will lose track of what he is talking about and ramble on about something else until he picks up his main point again. Being the narrator of the story, the reader hears everything from Hank's perspective. He is a cowdog on a ranch in Texas and the self proclaimed 'Head of Ranch Security', a role which he takes very seriously. * Hank (Head of ranch security): Hank is the main character and protagonist of the series. In the mid-1980s, the first book was also adapted into an animated segment for the CBS Storybreak. Series of his books are also translated into Persian and are popular in Iran. The first six books have been translated into Spanish by the Argentine publisher 'Editorial Sudamericana'. The Hank the Cowdog books are supported by various libraries and teaching programs, and related lesson plans, which usually incorporate the books with cassette tapes, are available through 'Maverick Books' (the series' original publisher). It has received various awards and acclaims, lauded by Publishers Weekly and USA Today.

Fact|date=February 2007 The books all include songs sung by Hank and other characters these songs are all performed on the tapes by Erickson. Every book in the series has been recorded in an audio book format, making it the longest-running popular children's audio book series.

Over 50 books have since been written featuring Hank, his timid sidekick Drover, his sworn enemy Pete the Barncat, and their adventures on the M-Cross ranch in the northern Texas Panhandle. The series began in 1982 with a couple of short stories about the proud but bumbling Hank, the self-styled 'Head of Ranch Security'. 'Hank the Cowdog' is a series of humorous children's mystery novels, written by Austin R.

Hank the cowdog the case of the haystack kitties