Is Everyone Ready for Fun?

July 18, 2011
Like a Saturday morning cartoon, Thomas's (Let's Count Goats!) rowdy characters and simple plot unfold in a series of scenes that build up to the one-joke resolution. The excitement begins even before the title page as three cows hop onto a small, red sofaâmuch to the chagrin of its owner, a flustered chickenâand one of them asks, "Is everyone ready for fun?" The sofa endures quite a beating as the cows demonstrate their definition of "fun" ("Jump! up and down, up and down. Let's all jump up and down!"), and Thomas's text repeats its pattern, teasing readers with an "It's time to..." as the cows try one forbidden activity after another. The chicken watches in horror, finally shouting "Enough! There will be no more jumping, dancing, or wiggling on my sofa!!" Thomas's illustrations energetically emphasize the cows' frenetic energy and the chicken's frustration, which are sure to draw giggles. When the cows decide that napping is the only thing left to do, collapsing in a heap on the sofa, it's not hard to imagine preschoolers doing the same. Ages 3â5.

September 1, 2011
PreS—-Three cows decide that it's time to have fun, which entails jumping, dancing, and wiggling on Chicken's sofa. Chicken is not happy about this until the cows hit on a use for the sofa that she, too, can appreciate. The text begins before the actual title page and falls into a pattern. On one spread, for example, a cow declares, "It's time to jump" and the page turn reveals the gleeful bovines shouting, "JUMP! Up and down, up and down. Let's all JUMP up and down! On Chicken's sofa!" Chicken lays down the law, "There's no JUMPING on my sofa!" and then the cycle starts again. This silly story just begs to be read aloud and invites youngsters to move and shake along with the cows. The simple text is related via speech bubbles, making the narrative great for multiple voices. The artist's bright and vibrant illustrations add to the exuberant tone. Children will love the humor and the art and will beg for the book to be read over and over. Perfect for preschool storytimes.—"Lora Van Marel, Orland Park Public Library, IL"

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.