Does a Cow Say Boo?

From Publishers Weekly
With an imagination tickler for a title, Hindley (The Big Red Bus) and Granstrm (Baby Knows Best) send a multi-ethnic group of children on a cheery survey of the farmyard. "Does a cow say boo?" asks the omniscient narrator. Granstrm pictures a quartet of children entertaining the question: a redheaded girl sticks her fingers on her head in imitation of the cow's horns while the cow itself seems to answer the question. "A cow says... moo! That's what a cow says and you can, too. So who says boo?" The text continues along these rhetorical-participatory lines as the children scamper (and in one case, toddle) around the pens and barn, meeting up with sound-rich critters that utter an "oink," "woof," "neigh" and more. Working in watercolors and pencil, Granstrm renders vibrantly colored farm scenes from a wealth of vantage points, including the rafter perch of a barn owl. Vigorous brush strokes bring to life the distinctive textures, whether the regal feathering of a rooster or the tousled shagginess of a sheepdog. All barnyard denizens appear happy to be seen and even handled by the intrepid explorers. The answer to the title question comes on the final spread, when the children exuberantly demonstrate that saying "Boo" is a specialty of their own species. Ages 2-5. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


From School Library Journal
reSchool-This simple and appealing picture book will have preschoolers calling out answers right and left. Hindley asks "Does a cow say boo?" and, of course, the response is "Oh no!" "What does a cow say? A cow says- moo!" The entertaining story rollicks on through a variety of animals and sounds until children finally get to the right answer: "You say- boo!" Although the plot is minimal, the brightly colored illustrations will keep youngsters' attention, and the predictable, repetitive text is perfect for encouraging interactive reading experiences. The large cartoons portray a variety of friendly looking animals and four engaging children who are visiting a farm. The full-bleed pages of barnyard scenes are inviting, and the lively story will work equally well one-on-one or in a group setting. Sure to be a hit in storytimes, this book would be a good addition to any library serving the toddler and preschool set.Amy Lilien-Harper, The Ferguson Library, Stamford, CTCopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
Ages 4-6. Bright, energetic illustrations portray a multiracial group of children romping around a farm in this playful introduction to animal noises. Starting with the cow, then going on to a pig, a dog, a cat, an owl, and so on, the text poses the title question for each animal, then reveals the animal's actual utterance: "Moo! That's what a cow says--and you can, too!" Even creatures that don't make noise at all, such as ladybugs, snails, and worms, are acknowledged ("some little creatures say nothing at all"). Very young listeners, as well as children old enough to read the rhyming text on their own will enjoy making the noises and eagerly jump out of their seats to shout "Boo!" at the end. Diane Foote
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Card catalog description
Children on a farm want to know which creature says "boo," and learn about animal sounds as they search.


Buy from Amazon     Compare Prices

Delightful pencil, watercolor, and crayon illustrations of multiethnic children accompanied by a lyrical narrative happily guide young readers through the many sights and sounds of the farm. Hindley and Granstrom (Eyes, Nose, Fingers, and Toes, 1999, etc.) return with an effort that is sure to become a crowd pleaser at story hours. "Does a cow say BOO? Oh, no! What does a cow say? A cow says . . . moo! That's what a cow says-and you can too." Similar teasing rhymes for pigs, dogs, cats, and owls naturally lead to discussion and imitation of animal noises, ranging from traditional oinks and woofs to more subtle tu-whits and tu-whoos. A seasoned children's author, Hindley respects the limited attention span of her audience and mixes up the format when relating other farm sounds. "And way up high on the hen house roof the rooster throws back his head and crows . . . how does he go? Cock-a-doodle-doo, doodle-doo, doodle-doo! Listen to that!" Other animals are covered even more succinctly with "a duck says quack, a bird says tweet . . ." as well as an acknowledgment that "some creatures say nothing at all." Especially pleasing are renderings of children in constant motion exploring the farm, pointing excitedly, imitating the horned cow, holding a nose in the pig pen, stroking a cat's fur, crawling on the ground to look at worms and snails, and, finally, throwing arms up in the air to shout "BOO!" A fresh approach to a popular topic. (Picture book. 2-5)


Buy from Barnes & Noble     Compare Prices