I Am Cow, Hear Me Moo!

February 10, 2014
When readers meet Nadine, she’s positioning herself among her sister cows as possessing superhero-like courage: “ ‘Not lightning?’ asked Starla. ‘Loud noises? A rat?’/ ‘I’m not scared,’ Nadine boasted, ‘of any of that.’ ” Much to Nadine’s surprise, the cows insist she lead them on an expedition to the scary woods. The outing begins well enough, but after dark falls and Nadine’s fear gets the best of her, she turns the lack of witnesses to her advantage: “She was scared of the woods./ But so what? She could smile/ because nobody knew it./ (At least for a while.)” Gordon (Herman and Rosie), whose animal comedy is in the same goofy-yet-expertly-composed vein as Betsy Lewin and Nadine Bernard Westcott, combines watercolor, crayons, and pencil with witty collage touches; in one scene, Nadine and her friends climb a tree made entirely of taped-together strips of green paper. Esbaum’s (I Hatched!) breezy verse lesson, which essentially boils down to “Fake it ’til you make it,” is a refreshing, down-to-earth twist on oft-seen picture-book moralizing. Ages 3–5. Author’s agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary Studio. Illustrator’s agent: Charlie Olson, InkWell Management.

March 1, 2014
Esbaum presents a wobbly story about a cow of wobbly confidence (though no shortness of bluster). In this rhymed production, Nadine and her bovine buddies, Starla and Annette, live on a farm at the edge of the woods. Nadine brags to them that she fears nothing, not even the woods. Full of wind and sure her friends will decline, Nadine suggests a forest excursion--only to find them willing: "Well, moooove it, Nadine," Starla tells her. Tentatively, Nadine takes a step, then another, and soon enough they are tootling about in the woods having a good time. The sun starts setting; Starla and Annette grow uneasy. Nadine has become comfortable in her Supercow mantle, choosing to dawdle in a cave that has caught her eye. When she emerges, the others have gone, night is on her, and so are the heebie-jeebies. When her tail tickles her rump, off she goes, driven by stark terror over a cliff. She falls into a handy pond, where her friends handily are wandering around lost. A heroine once more, Nadine now gives night tours of the woods. Readers will feel that something isn't right here, and it's not just Gordon's distractingly overbusy photo-collage artwork. It's why Nadine would eagerly now lead night walks even as the text expressly tells them she's still afraid of the woods. Forget Helen Reddy. Nadine is a poster cow for self-mortification. (Picture book. 3-5)

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April 1, 2014

PreS-Gr 2-In this amusing tale, a cow named Nadine is put to the test when she boasts that she's not afraid of anything. She and her two friends leave the safety and familiarity of the barnyard to explore nearby woods. At first hesitant to venture into the overgrown wooded area, Nadine quickly discovers much to love about the different surroundings. She spots a bird's nest, tastes blackberries, smells a pinecone, and notices tiny paw prints. When the sun sets, she becomes separated from her friends Starla and Annette while she inspects a cave. Nadine becomes frightened by sounds, shadows, and a tickling on her rump. Fearing a bear is after her, she gallops off a cliff and lands in a creek, where she is spotted by her lost pals, who believe that Nadine has come to their rescue. Written in rhyme, Esbaum's comical and suspenseful plot keeps readers interested. A mix of watercolor, pencil, crayon, and collage, Gordon's spirited and delightful artwork is full of activity and gives Nadine a winsome personality. Readers will chuckle when Annette and Starla boost Nadine up to look in the bird's nest and will laugh when they spot her swinging Tarzan-style from a tree. This story could spark discussions among children about their own fears and would be a worthy read-aloud.-Lynn Vanca, Freelance Librarian, Akron, OH

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2014
Preschool-G An udderly far-fetched story, this picture book stars intrepid bovine Nadine: There was nothing she fearedso she claimed, anyhow. Esbaum uses appealing rhythms and rhymes to tell of Nadine's attempt to impress her friends Starla and Annette by entering the scary woods. Her milk nearly curdled. / Doubt prickled her skin. / But what choice did she have? / Nadine gulped and stepped in. She manages to reach the top of the tallest tree (by standing on her friends) and, once there, shouts out the title. But after her pals wander away, Nadine's fright mounts as she worries about bears and feels a tickle on her rump that sends her, after a page turn or two, flying off a cliff. She then rescues her lost friends and is feted as a hero with a cake made of hay. Gordon's illustrations, made from watercolors, crayons, pencils, and collage, are a combination of the refined and the scribble-scrabble. They make for a funny mix, just like Esbaum's Nadine.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)