From Bogey Bear
I loved this book - its about cute animals, Farmer Brown's barnyard
animals. The cows, pigs, sheep, and duck are really really smart.
They outsmart Farmer Brown! Children will love this story and its
surprise ending. I'd like to tell you more, but then I would spoil
the surprise!
About the Book
Farmer Brown has a problem. His cows like to type. All day long he
hears, "Click, clack, moo. Click, clack, moo. Click, clack, moo."
But Farmer Brown's problems REALLY begin when his cows start leaving him notes...Come join the fun as a bunch of literate cows turn Farmer Brown's farm upside-down!
From Amazon
The literacy rate in Farmer Brown's barn goes up considerably once his
cows find an old typewriter and begin typing. To the harassed farmer's
dismay, his communicative cows quickly become contentious:
Dear Farmer Brown,
The barn is very cold at night. We'd like some electric blankets.
Sincerely,
The Cows
When he refuses to comply with their demands, the cows take action.
Farmer Brown finds another note on the barn door: "Sorry. We're closed.
No milk today." Soon the striking cows and Farmer Brown are forced to
reach a mutually agreeable compromise, with the help of an impartial
party--the duck. But this poor, beleaguered farmer's "atypical" troubles
are not over yet!
This hilarious tale will give young rebels-in-the-making a taste of the
power of peaceful protest and the satisfaction of cooperative give and
take. Witty watercolors by award-winning illustrator Betsy Lewin (Snake
Alley Band, Araminta's Paint Box) will make this a favorite for one and
all, even if words such as "ultimatum" and "neutral" throw the younger
set.
(Ages 5 to 8) --Emilie Coulter --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Publishers Weekly
Plucky barnyard denizens unite to improve their working conditions in
this hilarious debut picture book from Cronin (appropriately enough, an
attorney). Farmer Brown is dumbfounded when his cows discover an old
typewriter in the barn and begin experimenting ("All day long he hears
click, clack, moo. Click, clack, moo. Clickety clack moo"). Things
really get out of hand when the cows began airing their grievances.
Lewin (Araminta's Paint Box) conveys the fellow's shock as he reads:
"Dear Farmer Brown, The barn is very cold at night. We'd like some electric blankets. Sincerely, The Cows."
When Farmer Brown denies the cows' request, the bovine organizers go on strike. Through the use of the man's shadow, Lewin communicates his rage: the straw in his hat creates the appearance of his hair on end. With help from a neutral duck mediator, the exasperated Farmer Brown finally makes concessions.
But, much to his dismay, the cows are not the only creatures that can type. Cronin humorously turns the tables on conventional barnyard dynamics; Lewin's bold, loose-lined watercolors set a light and easygoing mood that matches Farmer Brown's very funny predicament. Kids and underdogs everywhere will cheer for the clever critters that calmly and politely stand up for their rights, while their human caretaker becomes more and more unglued. Ages 3-7. (Feb.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Booklist
Lewin's wild line-and-watercolor cartoons are perfectly suited to this
barnyard farce about animals that go on strike to demand better working
conditions. The cows find an old typewriter in the barn, and to the
farmer's fury, they type messages to him: "Dear Farmer Brown. The barn
is very cold at night. We'd like some electric blankets. Sincerely, The
Cows." When he refuses their request, they put up a notice: "Sorry.
We're closed. No milk today."
The hens are cold, too, so they join the cows--no eggs, either. There are ultimatums, emergency meetings, and a hilarious surprise ending. Today's preschoolers may have to be told about antique clackety typewriters, but they'll love the slapstick of the domesticated animals who get the farmer to toe the line. The thickly outlined pictures extend the fun, with closeups of the frenzied boss, the stalwart cows, and the hens cozy under their plugged-in blankets. Then there are the ducks . . . Hazel Rochman --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
About the Author
Doreen Cronin is the author of many bestselling picture books, including
Thump, Quack, Moo: A Whacky Adventure; Bounce; Wiggle; Duck for
President; Giggle, Giggle, Quack; Dooby Dooby Moo; and the Caldecott
Honor Book Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type. She lives in Brooklyn, New
York. Please visit
Doreen online.
About the Illustrator
Betsy Lewin is the Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator of Click, Clack,
Moo: Cows That Type and its sequels, Giggle, Giggle, Quack, Duck for
President, Dooby Dooby Moo and Thump, Quack, Moo, in addition to a
number of other picture books, including So, What's It Like to Be a
Cat?and Two Eggs, Please. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.