50 of 52 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Inspired bovine silliness for preschoolers and parents, July 3, 2000
This review is from: Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type (Hardcover)
The utter absurdity of the premise - cows that type? - led me to flip through this book, and then to purchase it. My 2 1/2 year old loves it, and appreciates the whimsy and incongruity of the plot: Farmer Brown's cows find a typewriter and type out a demand letter for electric blankets, leading to a comical negotiation to end a milk strike. The illustrations are charming and funny (I especially love the expressions on the cows' faces as they wait for Farmer Brown to respond to their notes), and the droll text is just simple enough, with just enough repetition, to keep the younger set hooked. As a lawyer, I got a kick out of the "dispute resolution" - sadly, many of my colleagues don't negotiate half as well as the bovines in this book.
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36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
first-rate read-aloud, February 29, 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type (Hardcover)
I heard "CLICK CLACK MOO" read aloud on National Public Radio and knew I had to have this book. Educational (the art of negotiation!), entertaining (animal sounds the young ones will enjoy)and clever, this one is a cross between Dr. Seuss and Gary Larsen's Far Side. Well written with hilarious illustrations. Don't pass this one by.
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42 of 44 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Cows that Counter the Stereotypes in this Award Winner, February 3, 2001
This review is from: Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type (Hardcover)
Click, Clack, Moo recently won the Caldecott award, and is very deserving of that honor. I enthusiastically endorse it for your children aged from 2 through 6. This book will be considered a classic children's tale within five years.
Many great children's books start from the point of view of role reversals. You take objects or animals and make them be like humans. But no one could have developed a funnier idea along those lines than having typing cows who lead a general strike on a farm.
"Farmer Brown has a problem. His cows like to type."
"All day long he hears. Click, clack, moo. Click, clack, moo. Clickety clack, moo."
"At first, he couldn't believe his ears."
But it gets worse. One day he receives a typewritten note that says:
"Dear Farmer Brown,
The barn is very cold at night. We'd like some electric blankets.
Sincerely,
The Cows"
Farmer Brown makes the mistake of treating the cows like cows. He tells them, "No way." They type up a note and put it on the barn door. "Sorry. We're closed. No milk today."
The next day, another note appeared.
"Dear Farmer Brown,
The hens are cold too. They'd like electric blankets.
Sincerely,
The Cows"
The negotiations continue toward a hilarious conclusion.
Each of these letters to Farmer Brown cannot help but inspire gales of uncontrollable laughter among your tykesters. The ending may actually cause laughter-induced pain because it is so hilarious.
The illustrations are particularly appealing. Ms. Lewin has drawn them to be large in features, vivid, bold, and colorful. They make the story more intense by capturing both a sense of movement and the personality of the characters. This is one of the best illustrated stories I have ever seen for preschoolers. That is important, because the illustrations carry a heavy burden as you first read this story to your child. No one has ever seen a typing cow, so the illustrations help fill in the gaps. Naturally, you will see opportunities to handle side issues like "how would a cow type, if a cow could type?"
Interestingly, Ms. Cronin is an attorney who also collects antique typewriters. Anyone who has ever been part of a labor negotiation will quickly recognize the universal truths around which she has structured this delightful story. I suspect that she has been part of one or two.
After you and your child become familiar with the story, I suggest that you think together about what is the right thing to do with regard to animals who do not send you typewritten letters. It is never too early for children to learn about each person's responsibility to live in harmony with our fellow creatures and to properly care for them.
May you always be clear about what you are looking for! Who knows? You may even get it.
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