THE COW THAT WAS THE BEST MOO-THER

Marjorie, the bovine paragon of steadfast motherhood from 2008’s The Cow That Laid an Egg, returns with the other denizens of her farmyard. This time, she’s awakened by the farmer’s wife hanging a sign announcing a beautiful baby contest—for cows only. Marjorie knows her baby Daisy has always been a special cow…ever since Daisy hatched from her egg. The farm is a-flutter as the cows prepare their calves. The farmer’s wife appears to judge, but Daisy gulps down a worm dangling from the judge’s hat. “A ch-ch-chicken!” sputters the farmer’s wife before she faints. In the face of her cohorts’ laughter, Marjorie says, “Daisy might not be like your babies...but she’s mine, and I love her!”—earning her a best-mom ribbon from Derek the bull. Cutbill’s sweet story of motherly devotion and interspecies adoption is pepped-up to cartoon perfection by Ayto’s spiky, mixed-media collage illustrations. Plenty of goofy details will have storytimers saying, “Once Moo-re please!” (Picture book. 4-7)