Cows Go Boo!

Sneaky cows dupe a farmer.

Farmer George's farm is fairly ordinary. Pigs wallow in the muck, and sheep graze in the meadow. All the animals seem to make their expected, predictable sounds. But when it comes to the cows . . . they are nowhere to be found! Farmer George is flummoxed, asking readers, 'Where did all the cows go?' After an aptly placed page turn, the cows jump out from behind a tree, yelling, 'BOO!' Farmer George is not amused. 'NO, NO, NO! Pigs go oink, sheep go baa, but cows do not go BOO. Cows go MOO! Please try to get it right.' And the simple, merry narrative picks back up, going through all the mechanical sounds heard on a farm (truck, tractor), but the cows tellingly disappear. One page turn later, out they pop, scaring the bewhiskered, White-presenting farmer yet again. Readers will delight in the mischievous bovines' antics as they perform scare after scare on the exasperated farmer. And even when Farmer George thinks he's got one up on them, they still have the upper hand, er, hoof. Blunt's illustrations make the most of the slapstick, the double-page spreads when the cows jump out at Farmer George dominated by diagonals that emphasize the chaos. The story's pacing might take some practice for maximum comedic effect as a read-aloud, but the droll humor found in this British import, especially the ever annoyed farmer, will keep readers giggling.

Plenty of opportunities for storytime jumps and laughs.—Kirkus Reviews