Boo-Hoo Moo (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Keith Graves (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2—Hilda Mae Heifer is down in the dumps, and her moo sounds oh-so-blue. The extended farm family that helped her find her voice in Moo Who? (HarperCollins, 2004) recognize that they can't stand by while she sounds so low. Rather than listen to her tune-free wails—or plug their ears—they conclude that misery loves company and swiftly organize auditions for a chorus to harmonize with—or perhaps drown out—Hilda Mae's sad song. Each animal's moment in the spotlight features a familiar sound: "Baaa-baaa," "nay nay nay-nay-nay," "squeak squeak SQUEAK," "ribbit." The judges at the well-attended auditions are strangely reminiscent of those found, for instance, on American Idol: the rooster is always complimentary; the duck invariably cries, "You nailed it!" The pig finds fault; he's HARSH—while the cat calls, "Next!" When the cows come home, they learn that Hilda Mae has given up singing in favor of another talent. Palatini's prose is poetic, quirky, inventive, and just plain fun. If the words "baffled," "bewildered," and "befuddled" are called for, she plunks them down on the page. Graves escalates the sophisticated silliness with his wacky, superbly crafted, almost 3-D illustrations. (You've got to love Hilda Mae's huge red pompadour.) The gorgeous colors and absurd perspectives take this tale to another level. It's a great day at the farm.—Susan Weitz, formerly at Spencer-Van Etten School District, Spencer, NY
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Product Description

Hilda Mae Heifer is once again ready to sing her glorious mi-mi-moo! So why does Hilda look so down in the dumps?

Even Hilda's moo is sounding more like a boo-hoo.

Perhaps Hilda needs a little doodle-do to accompany her moo-moo-moo?

Hilda's friends on the farm decide it's high time to find their blue bovine the perfect singing partner. Let the auditions begin!

This boisterous follow-up to Moo Who? continues the hilarious antics of a moosic-making cow.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books (February 24, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061143758
• ISBN-13: 978-0061143755
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 9.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #575,181 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Old McDonald meets American Idol!, April 20, 2009

By	MyBucklingBookshelf (MO) - See all my reviews

Hilda the heifer has a problem...her moo's have turned to boo hoo's. The other barnyard dwellers think she's lonely and as her 'boo hoo moo's' get louder and more melancholy, they hatch a plan to rid her of her boo hoo blues. They hold auditions amongst themselves for a chance to sing with Hilda in the hopes that having a singing companion will lighten her mood - and maybe drown out her horrible singing voice! In true AI fashion, as contestants try to croon, warble, or sqauwk their way into a singing gig with Hilda, they get feedback from a hen, goose, and pig who are obvious spoofs of their TV counterparts. What will Hilda's reaction be as her fellow farm critters reveal their intentions? Moo, honk, and bow-wow your way through the book to find out.

I am always on the lookout for fun, entertaining books that will appeal to both of my girls, aged 2 and 8. Boo-Hoo Moo is certainly one that hits the mark. With more animal sounds than you can count, and page upon page of bright, colorful barnyard scenes filled with quirky looking animals, I'm sure this book will be read dozens of times at my house.

As an added bonus, harpercollinschildrens.com has a link where Margie herself reads the book. Be sure to check it out - my girls thought it was hilarious!

3.0 out of 5 stars Boo Hoo Moo, September 7, 2009

By	Shel Julian Kessel "SJ Kessel" (Columbus, Oh) - See all my reviews

Palatini, M. (2009). Boo-Hoo Moo. New York: Katherine Tegen Books.

9780061143762

Poor Hilda Mae Heifer (a cow, in case you culdn't tell by her last name) is sad. She has a case of the boo-hoo-moo blues, wishing she had someone to sing with. Some of the other animals on the farm decide to try and help her find a singing partner and friend.

However, the audition process becomes complicated when the farm animals begin to fight over who would be the perfect partner to do a duet. Before the argument can continue for too long, the farm animals come up with an even better plan to help Hilda Mae musically.


Activities to Do with the Book:

Boo-Hoo Moo could be used in many different ways. It could introduce young students to farm animals and the sounds they make. It could be used to trigger a lesson on music (including terms like baritone, soprano, downbeat etc.) and the blues, or simply to discuss feelings of loneliness.

Young students could also act out the book, doing the motions and sound of the various animals included. They could consider what it's like to try-out or be a judge (and how to give positive feedback instead of negative). Students could also consider how to find their own individual talents.


Favorite Quotes:

"Hilda Mae Heifer was down in the dumps.
Feeling low. Sounding like it too.
Even her moo was blue."

"I believe Hilda is lonely," said the cat. "I don't think she likes singing solo."

"Uh, just a minute there, fuzz face. If any of us is going to have a sing-along with the cow...it's yours truly."

"My honking is legendary."

5.0 out of 5 stars Palatine with another great hit, May 26, 2009

By	R. Victor - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

My children (3 and 5) loved Margie Palatini's book "Moo Who?" so we decided to try out "Boo-Hoo Moo." They enjoy both books greatly and I am frequntly reading them to them, though they can recite the books almost verbatim. Palatini is great at introducing new vocabulary in a fun way that interest the children. They love hearing all the sound effects and enjoy hearing Margie herself read "Boo-Who Moo" at the harpercollins site.