A PARTICULAR COW

In a sort of bovine Rosie’s Walk, a cow starts out on a stately stroll that degenerates into a wild careen down a hill, through a wedding ceremony and into a small boat floating on a pond. Leaving a trail of startled but smiling folk behind, she then proceeds to leap back on to land and calmly saunter on, with a wink to readers. Denton captures the chaos in simple, bland cartoon illustrations, and Fox’s repeated use of “particular” gives the text a playful beat—but it’s all over almost before it begins. Similar excursions, such as John Burningham’s Mr. Gumpy’s Outing (1970) or Cynthia Rylant’s Great Gracie Chase: Stop That Dog! (2001), illustrated by Mark Teague, will give readers and listeners more time to become engaged in the goings-on. (Picture book. 5-7)