Book excerpt: Yee-haw! Sock Monkey lassoes a part in a singing cowboy movie — if he can only get up the nerve to kiss the leading lady. Sock Monkey, the famous toy actor, can hardly believe his ears. He's landed the starring role in a singing cowboy movie! Now he'll get to yodel, ride a horse, lasso a cow, and — yikes! — kiss the leading lady. Sock Monkey doesn't want to kiss anyone! But it's the role of a lifetime, so the woolen thespian corrals all his friends to help him prepare. Can he resist the urge to ride into the sunset when the big moment comes? In a brilliant performance of (inadvertent) bravery in the face of panic, Sock Monkey is back — to do his fans proud.