DOES A COW SAY BOO?

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 Granström (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)