Sailor Moo: Cow at Sea [Hardcover]

Lisa Wheeler (Author), Ponder Goembel (Author)

Book Description

Moo dreams of becoming a sailor.

Little does she know,

when she sets off toward the sea,

that the first crew she joins

will be composed of cats.

Or that she herself will be hailed

by a shipload of pirate steers

as their captain?s dairy queen.

It's amoozing where a dream

can take a girl --

a truth which Lisa Wheeler

and Ponder Goembel relish here

in rollicking words

and witty, windblown pictures.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Most dairy cows are content to stand and graze and chew. But not Moo. She forsakes her life of "waving wheat" for ocean waves in Lisa Wheeler and Ponder Goembel's witty and wonderful rhyming picture book Sailor Moo: Cow at Sea. Children will be immediately swept up in the story of a cow who seeks bluer pastures and hoofs it to the bay: "Yo-ho-ho / And a shiver-me-be / Whoever heard of a cow at sea?" The feline crew of a fishing boat agrees to take Moo on board if she will pay her way in fresh milk. It's a deal: "Moo loved the way the ocean sang. / 'Like moo-sic,' she would utter, / as rocking, rolling ocean waves / would churn her milk to butter." Once aboard, she befriends her sea cousins, the manatees, which turns out to be fortuitous--when she's thrown overboard in a "sudden, savage gale," they come to her rescue. But, what's this? The goggle-sporting sea cows take her to a crusty cattle barge of pirates led by Red Angus! Moo is dismayed: "Moo's heart was pure, so she was sure / it must be a mistake. / Looting steers? Cow buccaneers? / She felt her stomachs ache...." But when Red Angus gazes into Moo's eyes, his heart warms and his rough edges smooth: "In Moo he'd seen his dairy queen / and now he must reform." Adventure, romance, and darn-good storytelling combine with perfect meter, delightful puns (milk it, Lisa!), and fantastically lively, artful, and expressive illustrations to make this one of our favorite picture books of the year. Highly recommended. (Ages 3 to 7) --Karin Snelson

From Publishers Weekly

Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of milk? Yes, the creamy white drink plays a role in this bouncy bovine picture book, in which a cow finds adventure and true love on the high seas. Compelled to follow her dreams, dairy cow Moo leaves behind the farm's fields of waving wheat for the rollicking waves of the ocean. A stint as galley cook to the feline crew of the Cat's Meow is cut short by a storm that tosses Moo "into the brew" where she is quickly rescued by a pair of her cousins, the sea cows, and escorted to a cattle barge. But the gang with studded ears on board turns out to be a bunch of "looting steers cow buccaneers." Luckily Moo wins the heart of captain Red Angus and encourages him to abandon his pirate ways for married life on the Jersey shore. Wheeler's (Wool Gathering: A Sheep Family Reunion) rhyming verse, filled with silly cow puns, features a breathlessly outr‚ story line. Goembel's (Hi, Pizza Man!) dusky acrylics introduce a cast of bipedal critters who teeter wildly between anthropomorphism and realism, upping the humor considerably. The goggle-sporting manatees and hook-handed cat captain Silver Claw will likely have readers giggling. Ages 3-7.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books; 1st edition (July 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689842198
• ISBN-13: 978-0689842191
• Product Dimensions: 12.3 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #941,523 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

LISA WHEELER is the author of several award-winning picture books, including Sixteen Cows, One Dark Night, and Mammoths On the Move, which recently received a Parent's Choice Recommended Award. She lives near Detroit, Michigan. www.lisawheelerbooks.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Yo-ho-ho and a shiver-me-be...", August 7, 2002

By 

Roz Levine - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sailor Moo: Cow at Sea (Hardcover)

"All year long, the dairy cows/would stand...and graze...and chew./They truly were contented cows-/except for little Moo. // Moo watched the field of waving wheat,/and wished for ocean swells./She sniffed the freshness of the grass,/but wished for ocean smells." And so Moo packs her bucket and bell and leaves the farm to meet her destiny at sea. She's first employed as a galley cook on a feline fishing boat, promising fresh milk each day to pay her way. But when disaster strikes and she's swept overboard, her sea-cow cousins, the manatees, rescue Moo just in the nick of time, depositing her safely on the deck of ruthless, Red Angus' pirate ship. "Red Angus gazed into her eyes./His heart began to warm./In Moo he'd seen his dairy queen/and now he must reform." Content at last, Moo has finally found adventure and true love on the high seas..... Lisa Wheeler is back with another clever and witty picture book, and those who were charmed by her previous works, Sixteen Cows and Wool Gathering: A Sheep Family Reunion will lead a stampede to get Sailor Moo: Cow At Sea. Her marvelously engaging text begs to be read aloud, and is filled with rhyme, rhythm, silly cow puns and wordplay. Illustrator, Ponder Goembel's bold, colorful, and expressive artwork sparkles with endearing characters, humor, and captivating, eye-catching detail. Perfect for youngsters 3-7, Sailor Moo: Cow At Sea is definitely one of 2002's best and brightest, and is sure to be an instant favorite at your house. Kudos to Lisa Wheeler on another winner!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An "udderly" adorable book!!, September 12, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Sailor Moo: Cow at Sea (Hardcover)

My 3.5 year old & I first checked this one out from the library. We've since checked it out at least two more times... time to buy our own!! We both enjoy the wonderful & catchy poetry/music. And the illustrations are awesome!! You, of course, need to use your best pirate voice in some places; aaarrrrrgggghhhhh!!!! It's an owner to pass down for your children's children...

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's "moo-sic" to my 5yr olds ears!, February 24, 2003

By 

Dana G. "Dana G." (CA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sailor Moo: Cow at Sea (Hardcover)

I just checked this book out from the library and my son and I LOVE it so much I'm now ordering it from Amazon. I'm also getting another copy to give as a gift for a friend's son who is also turning 5 years old. I have now found a book I enjoy reading to my child as much as I enjoy reading "Oliva" to him. It's a winner!