Tag: cows

The Cow Tripped Over the Moon by Tony Wilson ill Laura Wood

Hey diddle

You all know the riddle,

A cow jumps over the moon.

It happened, all right,

On a crisp, cloudless night

On the second last Friday in June

Hey diddle

You all know the riddle,

A cow jumps over the moon.

It happened, all right,

On a crisp, cloudless night

On the second last Friday in June

The first time the cow tried to jump over the moon, was disastrous. Embarrassing. And as for the fiddler cat? Some practice wouldn’t go astray there either. Luckily they were among friends and friends help friends. So begins a night of getting it right. Some training, some direction, some practice and support all help to make the night a success. Along the way, there’s plenty of fun. Illustrations are full bleed and full of nighttime blues, reds, golds and more. Endpapers feature patchwork paddocks.

The Cow Tripped Over the Moon revisits the popular riddle ‘The Cow Jumped over the Moon’ and explores just what happened before ‘opening night’. This delightful nonsense has at its heart a reminder that things don’t always go perfectly the first time. It explores the nature of friendship, the value of persistence, failure and success. Young readers will come for the silliness, and that’s as good a reason as any to get lost in a story. Recommended for pre- and early-schoolers.

The Cow Tripped Over the Moon, Tony Wilson ill Laura Wood
Scholastic Press 2015
ISBN: 9781743623534

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Underneath a Cow, by Carol Ann Martin & Ben Wood

We’re under a cow,
We’re under a cow,
We’re under her here
We’re under her now!

When a sudden storm hits, the animals of the farm are taken by surprise. Far from shelter, they are not sure what to do – but Madge the Cow is very calm, and very brave and she offers shelter – first to Lally the rabbit, then to Robinson the dog, Cackalina the chicken and her excited chicks and, finally, to Spike the echidna. As lightning flashes and thunder booms, Madge not only provides a hiding place for the smaller animals, she also encourages them to sing, to dsitract them from the storm.

Underneath a Cow is a quietly humorous story about friendship, safety and bravery. Madge is a gorgeous yellow cow who smiles her way through the terrible storm, seemingly happy to be a point of refuge for her diverse range of guests (though she does request that Spike be careful of her ‘dangly bits’). The other animals appreciate her care, and are grateful and even form unlikely friendships through their experience.

Young readers will love the silliness of the story and its warm demonstration of friendship, and the humour of the illustrations, rendered in mixed media inluding watercolour, pencil and digital collage.

Lots of fun.

Underneath a Cow, by Carol Ann Martin and Ben wood
Omnibus Books, 2015
ISBN 9781742990880&

Me and Moo by P Crumble ill Nathaniel Eckstrom

This is me, and this is Moo

Can you tell which one is me and which one is Moo?

Moo lives under my bed, and at night he

Eats Mum’s flowers from the backyard.

I tell him not to eat the flowers but

He just loves the purple ones.

This is me, and this is Moo

Can you tell which one is me and which one is Moo?

Moo lives under my bed, and at night he

Eats Mum’s flowers from the backyard.

I tell him not to eat the flowers but

He just loves the purple ones.

The young narrator introduces his friend Moo and talks about how Moo came to be his friend and part of his family. Moo was small when he arrived but is now much bigger than the narrator. His family accept Moo, despite his clumsiness and his struggles with the house rules. Now that the narrator is at school, Moo sometimes goes too. And it is at school that the narrator discovers that other children have special friends too. These special friends are really good at different games, much better than the narrator’s friends. When a sleepover gets a little scary, the narrator tells his friends about Roar, the lion who lives in his wardrobe. Illustrations are digital in muted greens, blues and browns and provide plenty of humour to the spare text.

Me and Moo is a story of imaginary friends. While Moo helps the narrator in his everyday life, the imaginary friends of his school friends also help him to realise that he is not the only one who sometimes needs help. When the sleepover looks like it might be derailed by the scary stories the narrator is telling, he offers Roar, who lives in his wardrobe as protection for them all. Gently told, with a solid dollop of humour, Me and Moowill help timid children to feel less alone. Recommended for pre- and early schoolers.

 

Me and Moo, P Crumble ill Nathaniel Eckstrom
Scholastic Australia 2015 ISBN: 9781743625323

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Cows Say Moo, by Graeme Base

Cows say moo. But what sounds do other animals make?

Children and adults alike have long been delighted by the amazing detail of Graeme Base’s artwork, along with his stories in books such as Sign of the Seahorse and Animalia. Now, though, the very young are being offered a series of fold-out flap books, the Little Bug Books.

Cows Say Moo , one of the four titles, focuses on the sounds made by animals including cows, ducks, tigers and more. Each spread includes minimal text. For example, the cows spread features the words ‘Cows say’, and when the flap is folded out, a speech bubble shows one of the cows ‘saying’ Moo!. The illustrations use white space, with realistic looking animals against rural backgrounds, simpler than the complex illustrations of Base’s longer works. Hidden in each illustration is a little bug, providing a challenge for slightly older readers.

This sturdy offering, and the remainder of the series, will be loved by young readers.

 

Cows Say Moo (Little Bug Books)

Cows Say Moo , by Graeme Base
Viking, 2014
ISBN 9780670077618

Available from good bookstores or online. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Lazy Daisy, Busy Lizzie, by Mary Ellen Jordan & Andrew Weldon

One by one, in rhyme, the reader is introduced to the animal occupants of a farm. But few of these animals behave quite as might be expected.

This is my cow,

she’s called Daisy.

She should eat grass,

but she’s too lazy.

 

One by one, in rhyme, the reader is introduced to the animal occupants of a farm. But few of these animals behave quite as might be expected. There’s the lazy cow, who’d rather be spoon fed jelly; the hen who prefers dancing to laying eggs. Alternate double-page spreads introduce the animals and what they ‘should’ be doing, with following spreads detailing their preferred activities. But despite their un-farmlike activities, there is something they all do well, and the narrator suggests that on balance their combined life is a good one. Illustrations are pen and watercolour, in cartoon-style. Front endpapers show the farm in daytime, end endpapers show the farm at night.

 

From the outset and from the title, it’s clear that Lazy Daisy, Busy Lizzie is a book about playing with language, playing with sounds, and encouraging the reader to do the same. The illustrations include many other details and reader and child will easily be able to conjure up names, words and activities for further occupants of this farm. Readers will engage with the language, be tickled by the illustrations and come away with a sense of just how much fun it can be to play with words. And all this wrapped in delightful package of silliness. Win-win. Recommended for pre-school and early school readers.

Lazy Daisy, Busy Lizzie

Lazy Daisy, Busy Lizzie, Mary Ellen Jordan Andrew Weldon Allen & Unwin 2011 ISBN: 9781742374291

 

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com

This book can be purchased online from Fishpond.

This is the Mud! by Kathryn Apel & Warren Crossett

This is the cow
who was chewing her cud,
as she went for a drink
and got stuck in the mud.

When a cow gets stuck in the mud near a farm dam, chaos ensues. Rescuers come to help – but when they, too, get stuck, who will rescue them?

This is the Mud! is a rollicking, rhyming picture book story, based on the well known House That Jack Built. It is wonderful seeing this rhyme reworked into a brand new cumulative tale which youngsters will adore. It is especially good to see the farm being identifiably Australian, with the landscape being distinctly Australian and no sign of stereotypical farm animals – no cute rabbits or fluffy ducklings in sight.

This is a first picture book for author Kathryn Apel, who has been teamed with illustrator Warren Crossett. Crossett’s warm water colour illustrations are a perfect complement to Apel’s funny text with the larger than life cow and human characters being especially endearing.

This is an outstanding read aloud offering which will be requested regularly by young listeners.

This is the Mud, by Kathryn Apel, illustrated by Warren Crossett
Lothian, 2009

Clancy the Courageous Cow, by Lachie Hume

Clancy the Cow stands out in the herd because he is different. He is a Belted Galloway, but unlike all the other Belted Galloways, Clancy has no belt. The other cows reject him, but one night Clancy discovers that being totally black has a hidden advantage. He is able to sneak into the paddock next door at night and eat as much as he likes. Unlike the other Belted Galloways, Clancy is soon big and strong – and able to represent the herd in the annual Cow Wrestle.

Soon, Clancy is the hero of the herd. His victory in the Wrestle means that the Belted Galloways have grazing rights over the best paddock and the neighbouring Herefords have to move out. But Clancy has anther surprise up his sleeve. He thinks all the cows should just get along – and share the paddock.

Clancy the Courageous Cow is a fun story about being different and about getting along. It was first written by the author/illustrator for a school assignment when he was just twelve and the illustrations, using watercolour and graphite pencil, have a childlike simplicity which is really endearing.

Very cute.

Clancy the Courageous Cow, written and illustrated by Lachie Hume
Omnibus, 2006

Too Many Pears! by Jackie French

Pamela the cow loves pears. She loves them so much she will stop at nothing to get to them – even if it means crawling through a wombat hole or towing a tree behind her.

Unfortunately, Pamela’s pear obsession means there are no pears left for the people. Something has to be done to stop Pamela eating all the pears.

Too Many Pears is the latest humorous offering from renowned author-illustrator team, Jackie French and Bruce Whatley. Like so many of French’s books, the story revolves around food and animals, yet, as always, this story is unique. Whatley’s illustrations bring the tale to life, with the cow’s facial expressions a true delight.

Excellent.

Too Many Pears, by Jackie French and Bruce Whatley
Koala Books, 2003

Mr Moo, by Margaret Wild

Mr Moo has a nice house and good neighbours. Mostly, he’s content, but sometimes he wishes for a special friend to share things with. Then along comes Jimmy Johnson, who is off to see the world. When he takes Mr Moo’s unfinished row boat for a row and it sinks, however, he changes his plans. He will stay and help Mr Moo fix the boat.

Mr Moo takes Jimmy home to stay and soon the pair have the kind of special bond that Mr Moo has dreamed off.

Mr Moo is a bright picture book combining the writing talents of the renowned Margaret Wild with the illustrative skills of Jonathan Bentley. Published in a hardback edition in 2002, it has just been released in paperback format.

Kids will love the anthropomorphic Mr Moo (a cow) and Jimmy (who is a duck) as well as the minor characters and bright surrounds of Mr Moo’s home. They will also like the uncomplicated story – perfect for the littlies.

Mr Moo, by Margaret Wild and Jonathan Bentley
ABC 2004, first published 2002