Kids Lit
Books and More for Children and Teens

What a Day It Was at School! by Jack Prelutsky, pictures by Doug Cushman.

You can never go wrong with a book of Prelutsky poems, and this one is a real winner.  It is the perfect book to share with a new classroom of kids who will all enjoy a good giggle.  Avoid I Made a Noise This Morning unless you want complete mayhem.   The poems range from classroom events to different subjects like art and history.  All of them carry the signature Prelutsky twist and broad humor.  The illustrations by Cushman are friendly and warm with all sorts of animals dressed and acting like people.  A very nice way to either start up or wind up a day of school.

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A Place Called Kindergarten by Jessica Harper, pictures by G. Brian Karas.

The farm animals are all wondering why Tommy hasn't come to visit them the way he does every morning.  Then the dog reports that he heard the people saying that Tommy had gone to a place called Kindergarten.  But the animals have no idea where Kindergarten is,  Finally in the late evening Tommy appears and tells them all about what he learned in Kindergarten that day. 

The text is just right to read aloud and the illustrations evoke a real farm feeling with warm colors.  This is a lovely book that demonstrates a couple of things for new Kindergarteners.  First it shows that Kindergarten is fun and special.  Second, it demonstrates that the child will be missed when they are off at school, which is a very important thing. 

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Who Is Melvin Bubble? by Nick Bruel.

Nick Bruel writes some of the zaniest, funniest picturebooks.  Just to jog your memory, he is the author of Bad Kitty.  With Melvin Bubble, Bruel has created a read-aloud masterpiece where each character has a distinct voice that begs to be read aloud and shared.  Add to it Bruel's cartoon illustrations and you have pure picturebook magic.  The question throughout the book is who Melvin Bubble really is.  The authors interviews his parents, his best friend, his dog, his teddy bear, and many more.  Each tells about Melvin from their own distinct point of view, but no one really knows Melvin the way he knows himself. 

There is great humor throughout the book from an irate Tooth Fairy interview to the brief interview with the magic rock.  Kids of all ages will enjoy this, but the young elementary set will enjoy it the most.  This is one picture book to read to first and second graders that is not overly long and will have them hooting and hollering.  Definitely not one to calm a crowd down, use this one at the end of a long day as a reward.  What an idea!

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Ninety-Three in My Family by Erica S. Perl, illustrated by Mike Lester.

This boisterous book tells the story of a little boy who has 93 in his family, including 27 owls, 10 cats, 11 dogs, 2 sisters and a mom and dad.  The little boy tells of how they have to order extra large pizzas, cram themselves into the car, and wash all of the animals.  Not only is the text a rollicking rhyme, but the illustrations will have children laughing out loud.  The two paired together are masterful fun. 

Share this one any time someone needs a good laugh or pure silliness.  My five-year-old especially loved the picture of the cats drinking the shampoo, and had us read that page again and again, even turning back to it at the end of the book.  Days later, he still talks about how funny it is.  Now that is a good book.

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Annie's Chair by Deborah Niland really charmed me.  It is the story of a little girl and her love of her favorite chair.  She can read, watch TV, play, pretend, and bounce in her chair.  Even her older brother is not allowed to sit in her chair.  But then Annie discovers the family dog happily sleeping in the chair.  What is a girl to do? 

The illustrations of the book combined with the child-friendly text make this one a winner.  Annie is a real child who reacts just like a real child would to a dog sitting in her chair.   Share this one with toddlers through preschoolers, who will all relate to Annie and her love of a special thing.  They will also recognize Annie's frustration and anger in themselves.  This book would make a good discussion book about anger as well as sharing, but really it is simply a good read.

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Publisher's Weekly has an article with Scott Westerfeld: Looking at the Last Days. Westerfeld talks about the use of apocalypse in his novels, like his brand new The Last Days, which is a sequel to Peeps. Last Days is one of those books that I will bump everything on my reading pile to read.

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I have started a new project inspired by the recent talk on Child_Lit about children's literature blogs.  I have a del.icio.us page where I am compiling a list of those of us who blog about children's literature.  I have only worked on it in my free time yesterday, so it does need some refinement.  Also, if you don't see your blog listed, that means nothing because I am still working my way through my own bookmarks as well as those listed on other people's blog rolls.  If you want to make sure I won't miss you, please comment here or send me an email: kidslit@menashalibrary.org. 

The site is http://del.icio.us/kidslit.  You can subscribe via RSS feed, if you like.  It will also be added to my sidebar as a link.

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TeenLibWiki is a fab resource for librarians who work with teens.  The wiki allows you to participate by sharing your own ideas and experiences.  You just need to register for an account first.  Subjects covered include Professional Resources, Programming, Reader's Advisory, Teens and Technology, and YA Lit.  They have an awesome list of YA Authors who blog as well as other resources.  Definitely worth checking out and participating in.

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Up Above and Down Below by Sue Redding is a quirky and fascinating look at the two worlds, the one above the surface of the ground and the one below.  Redding's pop-art illustrations capture both the wonder of the two distinct places as well as adding a broad sense of humor to them.  Ocean scenes are amazing glimpses below the surface while the golf course illustration has gophers working industriously with stolen balls.  Children will enjoy looking closely at the illustrations and laughing aloud at the funny details they discover.  This is not a book for sharing at a storytime, but one to allow children to appreciate on a smaller scale.  Share this with almost any child, and you are guaranteed a good deep laugh. 

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A Chapter Closes is an incredible article on Children's Librarian, Mr. Tony who is a star among the toddlers on Washington DC. Just reading about the way he has increased attendance at programming, created excitement about stories, and relates to small children is inspiring. This one is for all those children's librarians who have a piece of Mr. Tony's magic and for those of us who have always wished we did.

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The View from the Ferris Wheel is the LiveJournal of Sara Latta, author of books for children.  Her blog contains interesting websites, a glimpse into the process of getting a book published, and more. 

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The Absorbascon is a blog dedicated to comic books.  You can find news, opinions, articles and more about comics and the comic book industry.  Also check out his blogroll filled with other comic book sites.

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Besides having one of the best banners of any blog I have seen, Kiddley offers great ideas, projects, websites and more for parents to share with their children. 

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Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast is a children's book blog that reviews books, offers great insights and is a lot of fun.  Their post yesterday features a list of new picture book titles that I happily have added to be to-read list. 

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The Gingerbread Cowboy by Janet Squires, illustrated by Holly Berry.

Out in the Wild Wild West, a rancher's wife makes him a cowboy from gingerbread.  But when the rancher peeks into the oven, you can guess what happens.  Out jumps the Gingerbread Cowboy and off he runs, "as fast as his boots could carry him."  As he runs, he dashes past all sorts of wild west critters like a roadrunner, horned lizard, and long-horned cattle.  But, as with most gingerbread boys, this one finds himself a coyote willing to take him across the river.  The book ends in the traditional snappy way.  The book is easy to read aloud and just calls for a variety of voices from the reader.  Great fun!  The illustrations will project well when used with a group, from the double spread of the Gingerbread Cowboy before he is baked to the yellow-oranges of the desert that he runs through. 

I enjoyed the western theme of the book combined with a real tribute to the original tale.  Share this one in a couple of different themes and units.  You can include it in twists on favorite tales as well as for those cowboy themes.  This is one to capture with your lariat and hold onto tight.

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The 2006 Children's Book of the Year Awards from The Children's Book Council of Australia have been awarded. 

OLDER READERS

Winner:  Burke, J.C.   The Story of Tom Brennan
Honor:  Condon, Bill   No Worries
Honor:  Moloney, James   Lost Property

YOUNGER READERS

Winner:  Fensham, Elizabeth    Helicopter Man
Honor:  Bateson, Catherine      Millie and the Night Heron
Honor:  Gleitzman, Morris         Once

EARLY CHILDHOOD

Winner:  Niland, Deborah      Annie's Chair
Honor:  Watts, Frances         Kisses for Daddy

PICTURE BOOK

Winner:  Lissiat, Amy      The Short & Incredibly Happy Life of Riley
Honor:  Crossett, Warren   The Sound of the Sea
Honor:  Sheehan, Peter      The Island

INFORMATION BOOKS

Winner:  Davidson, Leon   Scarecrow Army: The ANZACS at Gallipoli
Honor:  Brian, Janeen   Hoosh!  Camels in Australia
Honor:  Jamal, Nadia   The Glory Garage: Growing up Lebanese Muslim in Australia

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Cooking Up a Storm by Sam Stern.

This cookbook written by a British teen is getting a lot of media attention in the U.S. right now.  The book is full of easy recipes that will pull teens in but also has some more complicated recipes for teens to stretch their culinary skills.  All of the ideas are appealing as are the photographs of the food.  Adding to the appeal are the photographs of Sam with his family doing perfectly normal things like munching while playing video games.  This is a successful, teen-friendly cookbook that is low-key and not intimidating at all. 

Get this one while it is hot!  Stern has a new book coming out in the next few months as well.  Oh, and adults as well will enjoy the recipes.  I am hoping to make the delectable-looking Lemon Souffle Cream Pudding for my family this weekend.  Yum!

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I was just scanning through the list of upcoming Online Programming for All Libraries: Events and Programs and discovered that in mid to late September and early October, they will be featuring some programming for librarians interested in children's lit.

Saturday, September 16th - Meet the Author: Kate DiCamillo

Thursday, September 21st - Allen Say's Grandfather's Journey will be discussed.

Monday, October 9th - Immigrant Kids by Russell Freedman will be discussed.

The programs are all offered online. You just need to download a quick plugin and you will be a participant. Very easy to do, plus it is often something you can earn continuing education for, if you need those hours like I do. OPAL offers other items of interest to children's and school librarians, so make sure to scan the list for other programs as well.

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Adam Cadre has written an impressive article on William Sleator's body of work: 25 books by William Sleator. Sleator is great writer to recommend to teen boys who like some science fiction or strangeness in their novels. Well, Cadre writes it much more clearly than I can, and offers a synopsis of each title.

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Child_Lit, the email list, is having a discussion about children's literature blogs. I shared a couple of the new-to-me blogs mentioned yesterday, and here is another: rindawriter's Xanga Site. This blog has reviews of children's books and lots of links of interest to children's lit lovers.

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Canadian author, Sheryl McFarlane has Sheryl McFarlane's Book Blog as well as a website that features information on her writing. Her blog offers reviews of other author's books and she has a great list to the side that shows all of the authors she has reviewed in the past.

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Many of you may recognize Fairrosa, the great children's lit site.  She has now added a blog, her Reading Journal that is filled with reviews of the books she has just finished.  Very nice.

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Maine's Times-Record has an article that made me swoon with pleasure:  Frederick the mouse had it right.  The article is based on Leo Lionni's classic picture book, Frederick, where a mouse doesn't work all summer long to prepare for the winter cold, but instead gathers images and stories from the summer to keep the other mice warm during the winter.  The article encourages people to do the same for themselves, savor summer and capture your own memories to keep yourself warm after the summer sun leaves. 

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The Independent has an article about Little Chef, as teen cookbook author Sam Stern is known.  This 15-year-old from the UK has written a cookbook for teens: Cooking Up a Storm.  The article takes a look at how Stern got started cooking and gives librarians a heads-up about a second cookbook coming out in October. 

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Mary Higgins Clark Ships Off to Children's Books announces that the famous author of suspense novels has written her first children's book. It is illustrated by Wendell Minor. Alarm bells went off in my head when I read her quote: “I thought it would be a daunting project, but with six grandchildren and 11 step-grandchildren, I’ve been telling stories to children for a long time.” Sigh. Yeah, children's books are easy-peasy, remarkable how difficult it is to do one WELL.

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Hippo! No, rhino by Jeff Newman.

The inept zookeeper at the zoo accidentally labels the rhinocerous as a hippo.  The rhino is upset by this and tries to get the visitors to the zoo to fix it.  Unfortunately, all of the adults are happy to read the sign and just assume that it is a hippo.  It isn't fixed until finally a little boy takes care of it.  Then prepare yourself for the twist at the end.

Newman's almost wordless book is a joy.  His illustrations are hysterically funny, from the rhino using one of the birds on his back as a dart to the dejected rhino at the end who has finally given up.  Read this one aloud with plenty of gusto as the rhino tends to bellow in words that always rhyme-o.  Definitely worthy of the honor of being the final book in a storytime that will keep antsy children glued to their seats.  This will work for preschoolers and kindergarteners as well as older children who enjoy a good laugh. 

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Sleepyhead Bear by Lisa Westberg Peters, pictures by Ian Schoenherr.

Bear is so sleepy on a hot summer day, but he keeps getting bothered by bugs!  The bugs aren't scared when he growls at them, they just follow him when he goes into the lake, and then he disturbs a bee hive.  It isn't until he is thrown down a hill and lands in a meadow that he discovered insects that he can enjoy.

This book is a great read-aloud with rollicking rhymes, filled with action, plenty of places for giggling, and then concludes with the magic of butterflies filling the air.  Read this one to classes or storytime crowds.  It is just right for preschoolers through kindergarteners and will easily fit into units on insects, butterflies, and bears. 

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Big A little a has posted a book meme, and on this slow Friday afternoon I think I will give it a try. I look forward to reading everyone else's after I post this. I didn't want to cheat and read them first. :)

1. One book that changed your life?

This is going to sound preachy, but really I read because each book I love changes my life a little. I gain a new perspective, see things from a different pair of eyes, and understand something a little deeper. To narrow it down, I would say that The Giver by Lois Lowry changed the way I viewed my own colorful world, giving it more depth and more wonder.

2. One book you have read more than once?

I am not a re-reader by habit. My husband is and it can drive me wild that he would rather re-read a book than try something new. But when I was a child, I read the Little House on the Prairie series so many times that even being very careful I wore out an entire set. I still have my tattered and taped set from my childhood.

3. One book you would want on a desert island?

I don't know. I was an English major in undergraduate school and loved a lot of the books I read. I use that as my excuse for now reading children's books almost exclusively. I did my time in the classics. So I would say that it would probably be something by one of the great English authors and it would be nice if it was an anthology by someone who did novels as well as poetry. I'm not sure I could live without reading poetry.

4. One book that made you laugh?

Harris and Me by Gary Paulsen. I consider this one of the funniest books ever written. I recommend it to all male readers. If you haven't read it, you must!!

5. One book that made you cry?

I tend to be a weeper. Lovely books that aren't sad at all can get me crying just because they end.

6. One book you wish had been written?

I wish I had written down more in a journal when my sons were tiny. So that I would have a book for each of them to treasure.

7. One book you wish had never been written?

This will probably seem strange. But I wish that Lowry had never written a sequel to The Giver. I loved the ambiguity of the ending, the gasp that would escape readers, and the fact that they alone had to wrestle with the possibilities of what may have happened.

8. One book you are currently reading?

I am reading Faerie Wars by Herbie Brennan.

9. One book you've been meaning to read?

I have such a huge list of titles I mean to read. But top of the list are:
Dreamhunter by Elizabeth Knox
Wide Awake by David Levithan
Last Days by Scott Westerfeld
Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin
This Is All by Aidan Chambers

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A big thank you to A Fuse #8 Production for mentioning that we are both featured in the Cites & Insights article Looking at Liblogs: The Great Middle.

I also want to thank Walt Crawford, author of the article, for looking at the deep dark middle ground of library blogs. That's exactly where you will find the children's librarians. :)

My blog scored high in number of posts along with my other blog, Sites and Soundbytes. Of course, no one could come close to Fuse on that or several other categories. I am constantly amazed by Fuse's ability to post so much each day. And such wonderfully clever stuff too.

Fuse wonders why other kidlit bloggers are not listed. Me too. Perhaps they are sometimes not easily identified as librarians? After all, we can't all go on and on about the original Winnie the Pooh living right in our library, can we? ;) Thus further securing her reign as posting queen of the Great Middle. :P

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Chronicle Books publishes a variety of books, including titles for children and teens. You will recognize their titles as being multicultural, clever, and eclectic.

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Bumble Bee Productions is a publisher of children's books. They have two new books coming out this fall, including a new Ruby Lee the Bumble Bee book.

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I have been focusing on reading new books for awhile now. I love the crispness of the pages, the crackle of a spine, and the gleaming plastic covers of new library books. I am going to be reviewing the third book in a very popular series for School Library Journal. I moaned knowing that I would have to read the first two books before writing the review.

But I am not moaning anymore. First, because the books are wonderful. Second, because I had forgotten the joys of well-loved and well-read library books. I am loving the creaminess and softness of the pages that become furred and vellum-like. I enjoy the way the spine happily flops open. And I like all of the little marks on the pages that show how enjoyed this book has been in so many different places and ways. I think I would take a well-loved, used book over a blindingly-white uncracked book any day.

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News from England says that Young spy breaks the spell of boy wizard. This means that Anthony Horowitz's massively popular Alex Rider series has toppled Harry Potter from the top of the book charts. Horowitz now has seven titles in the top 20 children's bestsellers, something that Rowling can't even hope to approach until she releases the final novel in the Harry Potter series.

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The Chimpanzees of Happytown by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees.

Andreae and Parker-Rees create picturebooks filled with vibrant color and very cool animals.  Their newest is no different.  The chimpanzees of Drabsville, USA live in a grey world with no trees, no parks, just concrete.  But then Chutney, a world-traveling chimp arrives with a seed.  Unfortunately, when he plants it the mayor notices and orders the plant cut down and Chutney thrown into jail.  But all is not lost.  The boy and girl chimps next door to Chutney continue to water the seed and it turns into a huge plant that comforts Chutney in his jail cell.  When Chutney is released from jail, he calls for the population of Drabville to rebel.  The colors become wild pinks, purples and oranges filled with a profusion of flowers and trees. 

The book may be a little obvious for parents, but I have shared it with children and they all adored the message and the transformation.  The book ends with:  "And things will always blossom if we dare to set them free.  It's no different for a little flower than for a chimpanzee."  This book has a strong environmental message making it a nice addition to environment or nature units for preschoolers and kindergarteners.

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Please play safe: Penguin's guide to playground safety by Margery Cuyler, illustrated by Will Hillenbrand.

Safety books can be deadly serious, dull and dismal, but this one has a broad sense of humor and will get kids giggling.  What more could be asked for in a safety book?  The book demonstrates first how NOT to be safe and then shows how to act safely on a playground.  When the dangerous way is shown, the text asks "Is that right?"  If you are sharing this with a group or even a single child, expect them to vigorously protest that it is wrong even though they are laughing at the very idea.  The pattern and rhythm of the book, its humor and participation aspects (as well as the potential for readers adding zany sound effects) make this a great choice for safety units in preschool and kindergarten. 

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Shoo, Fly Guy! by Tedd Arnold is the third Fly Guy book in this early reader series.  In this book, Fly Guy is trying to find something to eat.  His favorite food is "brown, oozy, lumpy, and smelly."  Fly Guy flies all over town looking for something that has all those qualities, but he can only find things that meet some of the criteria.  When he tries to eat those things, he gets chased away time and again.  It isn't until he finds his friend Buzz again that he also finds exactly what he is hungry for. 

I am a real fan of Fly Guy.  All of the books about him are a wonderful combination of slapstick and gross humor.  They are the perfect books to give to reluctant boy readers because the zaniness will carry even the slowest readers through.  The books also make great read alouds to groups of kindergarteners or first graders.  Share the fun!

Oh, I should mention that the image doesn't do the cover of this book justice. Rather than being a dull tan, it is actually a very psychodelic green/gold that catches the light. It will also catch the eye of kids.

Released in September.

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How Do Dinosaurs Learn Their Colors? and How Do Dinosaurs Play with Their Friends? by Jane Yole and Mark Teague are two more books in the ever-expanding collection of How Do Dinosaurs... books.  The books retain the clever illustrations, straight-forward concepts, and format of the original.  In Play with Their Friends, the book begins by showing how not to share and play nicely and then switches to having the dinosaurs demonstrate how they act if they are being good friends.  Learn Their Colors is a pure concept book with colored items on each page.  Both books are board books and little dinosaur lovers will enjoy seeing dinosaurs acting like people.  Purchase where other books in the series are popular. 

Released in September.

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The Guardian has a great interview with Meg Rosoff called Don't call me lucky. Hopefully you have all read the amazing How I Live Now, which was Rosoff's first novel. Her new one is just coming out, Just in Case. It is certainly on my too-be-read list and will be fast tracked as soon as libraries in the area purchase it. This article just serves to get me even more interested in reading more by Rosoff.

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Learning.now is a very cool blog on the PBS TeacherSource website.  The blog offers information on how new technology is affecting education.  Look here for posts on Web 2.0 technologies and websites and their impact on what educators are able to offer students. 

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DPP Store offers eBooks and has a nice selection of free children's books under the category: Kid's eBooks.  Look for the year published as Out of Copyright and you will have found the classic kid's lit.  Books in this category include some of my favorites like books by Frances H. Burnett that I read time and again as a child, Heidi by Johanna Spyri, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggin, Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, and the list goes on.  This is a great place to find classic books to load on computers or reading devices for kids to take on trips.  Even better, how about reading aloud in the car some of the books that touched you as a child, just the titles of these take me right back to reading on a blanket out in the tall grass behind our house.  Me and the grasshoppers and a great book separate from the larger world.

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Tomorrow KidsLit turns three years old! I am so thankful for everyone who reads my words, who share their own, and who send me free books to review. :)

Seriously, thank all of you for being my readers and to all of my kidslitblog cohorts, thank you for making a community that is welcoming, warm and lots of fun to be a part of.

Keep on reading! And keep those kids reading too!

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Anatopsis by Chris Abouzeid has already been reviewed across the kidlitblogosphere.  But I never got around to reading it until now despite all of the stellar reviews it received both online and in print.   I am not going to provide a detailed review, but I will say that this fantasy for older elementary and teens is vibrant, unique and impossible to put down.  The balanced nature of the magic in the novel is a unique feature as is the fact that magic takes an awful toll on the world around it.  Anatopsis is a great heroine, who makes mistakes that cost her and the ones she loves dearly.   Abouzeid's writing is familiar and accessible.  Amazingly, reading his writing is like returning to a favorite author although this is his first novel.  His writing is simply, joyously readable. 

Share this one with teens who enjoy fantasy.  Good readers in elementary school can also be encouraged to read this because there is no content that is worrisome.  Both boys and girls will enjoy the story. 

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Curled Up with a Good Book is a website filled with reviews for children, teachers, librarians and parents.  The books reviewed range from picture books to chapter books to teen lit to activity books for teachers and parents.  I haven't seen this nice a selection of parenting and activity book reviews on any other site.  Very nicely done.

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Dizzy by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Sean Qualls.

Dizzy is a picture book biography of jazz great Dizzy Gillespie.  It is an amazing combination of language and picture, reading like poetry and looking like art.  It creates a mood, sustains it and teaches as it does it.   Read this book aloud or at least aloud in your mind to hear the rhythm, the jazz of the writing as it glides, dances and plays along just as Dizzy Gillespie did. 

This book caught me by surprise.  I tend not to like picture books about musicians because I think they often fail at trying to match the brief story and illustrations to the music that made the person famous.  But this one?  This one is one of the best musician biographies I have seen.  The illustrations add to the biography, informing readers of the time and place.  The text is gorgeously rich yet very simple like jazz itself.

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Nutmeg by David Lucas is the story of a little girl who lives in a very dreary, grey world where all they ever eat is cardboard, string and sawdust.  It is all very dull and their home is filled with piles of junk.  Until Nutmeg decides that she is going to do the unheard of and go for a walk.  On her walk, she finds a bottle floating in the grey water.  Out bursts a bright blue genie surrounded by bursts of yellow, red and orange.  He gives her three wishes and Nutmeg wishes for something different to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  So the genie gives her a magic spoon.  That evening, the spoon cooked supper all by itself.  A colorful supper of puddings, gelatins, pies, fruit, meat and more.  Then in the middle of the night, the spoon stirs up more changes and Nutmeg's life will never be grey and dull again. 

Lucas has created a story that demonstrates the color and change that a little imagination and change from the norm can bring into your life.  His writing is simple and easy to read, but very evocative of the mood of the story.  His writing at the grey beginning repeats and grinds the way it has always been.  Then the writing is almost wild as the genie appears.  And finally as the story glides to a finish, the sentences are longer and the writing glides along as well.  Add to this his illustrations that do the same thing, starting with greys and browns, changing to bright vivid primaries and finally ending with peaches, pinks, and hazy blues. 

Share this one with children.  They will immediately understand that it is about imagination and magic.  It is a great read that offers few answers but is certainly worth the journey.

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Manny's Cows: the Niagara Falls tale by Suzy Becker.

Manny is a farmboy who cannot go on vacation like the rest of the kids in his class because he has to take care of the 500 cows on the farm.  I mean, what is he supposed to do, take them with him?  Well, that is exactly what he does by loading them all into buses and heading off to Niagara Falls.  At first, the cows are less than enthusiastic about the trip, but they get into the spirit.  And eventually when Manny finds himself broke and far from home, the cows save the day.  The book is filled with clever puns, great asides, and lots of laughter.  It is made even funnier by the illustrations that often feel more like a comic book than a picture book. 

This is not a book to read to a group, but one to share with children in elementary school who like a good giggle and enjoy pure silliness.  The illustrations are too detailed for them to project well enough to a crowd, and one would not want to skip any of the wry comments made by the cows on their travels. 

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