Cow [Hardcover]

Malachy Doyle (Author), Angelo Rinaldi (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2002

What is it like to be a dairy cow?

Chewing your cud from dawn to dusk. Your long tail swishing from side to side. Resting in the shade of a tree by the river. Being milked in the cool milking parlor. Sleeping under the stars.

What is it like to be a dairy cow? Let's find out....

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A day in the life of a dairy cow is the centerpiece of this handsome and leisurely paced picture book. From dawn breaking in the dew-moistened meadow to a walk back into the field at dusk, Doyle (The Bold Boy) describes the cow's routine eating, resting and dutifully submitting to a milking machine in lulling, second-person text: "Your hooves click on the floor of the yard, the gate opens, and you enter the stall"; "The day warms up, and your breath comes hot and heavy from your broad, wet nose." The author offers occasional glimpses of the farmer and his children ("The children come to swing from the tree. Out over the river") but remains intent on the cow's experience ("You wait by the gate... your milk-full udders aching"). As fine complement, Rinaldi's (Rainy Day) elegantly rendered, photo-realistic oil paintings convey subtle changes in sunlight and shadow; his cows seem so lifelike that readers can almost hear the flies buzzing around them. A departure from the whimsical, Old MacDonald/ Click Clack Moo-style farms typically found in children's stories, this bucolic offering has sure educational value, but it may be realistic to a fault the monotony of the cow's existence seems unlikely to invite repeat readings. Ages 5-9.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 4-In a symbiotic relationship, illustrations and text gently wow the senses as readers follow a cow through her slow, quiet day. Early morning birds and the farmer's familiar whistle are heard while a sense of the animal's "breath-hot and heavy" from a "broad, wet nose" is clearly imparted. Later, near the end of the day, her "milk-full udders aching, "she waits by the gate. From endpaper to endpaper, the double-page illustrations complete the mood. Reminiscent of John Constable's work, the art has the feel of the English countryside but could also be scenes from Wisconsin or Iowa. The universality and timelessness reflected in the oil paintings is both nostalgic and contemporary. The lighting is exquisite. Warm glow at dawn, fading colors at dusk, and filtered light in the coppice capture the serenity and rhythm of the meadow matron's day. This oversized book will work well for sharing during storytimes, but the pastoral paintings also offer a private gallery for singular enjoyment. This is a book not to be missed.-Carolyn Janssen, Children's Learning Center of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry (July 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 068984462X
• ISBN-13: 978-0689844621
• Product Dimensions: 12.1 x 10 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,427,212 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Malachy was born in Ireland, went to college in England, brought up his children in Wales and has now returned to Ireland, where he lives on a tiny island off the coast of County Donegal.
After spells in advertising and as a special needs teacher, Malachy turned to writing children's books. He has now had over 70 published and has won many prizes, including the Parent's Choice Gold Award and the Anne Izard Storytellers' Choice Award (for 'Tales from Old Ireland'), the Nestle Children's Book Silver Award (for 'The Dancing Tiger'), the Tir na nOg Award (for 'Georgie') and the English Association Award (for 'Cow').

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Day in the Life of a Cow....., October 16, 2002

By 

Roz Levine - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cow (Hardcover)

From sun up to sun down, spend a day in the life of a dairy cow. Rise at dawn, "big and heavy", and head for the barn, ready to be milked. Then lumber back to the pasture to eat and chew your cud all day long, take a cool drink from the river, and maybe a nap in the shade of a tree during the hot afternoon. "Your ears twitch to clear the flies from your face. You swish them from your back with a long bushy tail." As dusk approaches it's time to head back to the barn for the evening milking. "You graze, you chew, and you rest. It's hard work being a cow." Malachy Doyle's spare text, told in the second person, is quiet, and poetic, and complemented by Angelo Rinaldi's stunning artwork. Mr Rinaldi's beautifully shaded, close-up, and detailed oil paintings are so realistic and lifelike that you'll think you're looking at photographs. Together word and art offer a simple and elegant peek at a cow's life down on the dairy farm. Perfect for youngsters 3-7, Cow is engaging, early non-fiction at its best, and an evocative picture book that shouldn't be missed.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Where was this book during Caldecott nominations?, March 8, 2008

By 

LibrarianB4aMommy "B" (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cow (Hardcover)

Wow! I just stumbled across this beautiful book while gathering cow-themed books for my 4 year old. It is such a illustrative masterpiece! The text and pictures are so peaceful and I found myself imagining the sounds of the pasture, stream, and milking pen as I read. What a treat for my eyes, ears, and imagination. I searched to see if this book was considered for a Caldecott medal, but it wasn't. How unfortunate, since it is such a work of art.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Gorgeous illustrations, January 2, 2006

By 

SS (Nashua, NH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cow (Hardcover)

The story is a bit clinical in it's description of heavy aching udders, but the illustrations are incredible. For our cow obsessed toddler, this was perfect.