Sakes Alive! A Cattle Drive [Hardcover]

Karma Wilson (Author), Karla Firehammer (Illustrator)

Book Description

Grade Level: P and up

Two cows, Mabel and Molly, take the farmer's truck and go for an eventful joyride into town.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-K–The words cattle drive have new meaning as clever cows Mabel and Molly sneak Farmer's keys from his back pocket to take the truck for a quick spin. They can't read stop signs, have never heard a police siren, and don't know what flashing lights mean or where to find the brake pedal. Chickens and hay bales fly, police give chase, and the mayor shakes his fists in frustration. These cows do make a festive sight with the debris from their close encounter with the mayor's prize flowerbeds filling the streets in ‘the best parade we've ever seen!' They are celebrities. The people wanted autographs,/but cows, of course, can't spell./They stamped their hooves in pads of ink,/which worked out rather well. A repeated Sakes alive! refrain and rhyming couplets frame the text, illustrated with cartoon figures in pastel acrylics. Beware these crafty farm animals–the horses are now asking to drive. Welcome silliness in any library.–Mary Elam, Forman Elementary School, Plano, TX
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

K-Gr. 3. Lose the lassoes, trade the horses for a truck, and switch cowboys for cows and cattle drive takes on comical new meaning. When cow culprits Molly and Mabel steal Farmer's keys, unlock his truck, and zoom away to town, Farmer shouts, "Sakes alive! They're on a cattle drive!" The bovine joyride moves into full gear as Mabel and Molly speed through a stop sign, narrowly missing the sheriff's car, and sideswipe the mayor's flowerbed before whipping into town chased by a parade of police cars. Breezy acrylic illustrations of roundish-faced characters with black-dot eyes bounce along the roadway accompanied by zippy rhymes that zing with humor; there's even a clever salute to Peggy Rathmann's Officer Buckle and Gloria (1995). This has the barnyard insouciance of Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin's Click, Clack, Moo (2000), and an ending that perfectly sets the next escapade: Have you ever seen horses drive? Julie Cummins
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; 1st edition (July 6, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316988413
• ISBN-13: 978-0316988414
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 0.4 x 10.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #723,890 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm a wife, mother of three, writer and photographer. I love to write fun stories, poems, songs, etc... I especially love to write in rhyme because I think that well written rhyme naturally teaches children to expand their vocabulary and love books and reading.

I spend my time in the wilds of northwest Montana, where there are lots of bears and animals like the ones in my bear books! I love the wilderness and all of the animals that live there. My husband and children are also avid lovers of the outdoors.

I am also an amateur photographer. Give me a camera and I'll spend hours snapping photos.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sakes Alive!, September 8, 2005

By 

Kim Peek - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sakes Alive! A Cattle Drive (Hardcover)

What happens when the cows sneak up behind Farmer and steal his keys? They go on a cattle drive, of course! A beautifully-illustrated, perfectly-rhyming tale with all the hilarious twists and turns expected in a Karma Wilson book. Full of vivid word pictures and fun plays on words, everyone will want to drive-just remember to remind your toddler that it's not okay to joyride!

Readers will also enjoy Wilson's Hilda Must Be Dancing and Never, Ever Shout in a Zoo.

See my reviews books at Young Adult Books Central

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great one from a favorite author!, December 1, 2007

By 

L. White "Mom of two who loves to read" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sakes Alive! A Cattle Drive (Hardcover)

We have several of Karma Wilson's books and this one is one of her best. My 6 1/2 year old son isn't a reader and it is tough to find books that he enjoys, but he loves this book. We take turns acting out different sections and doing funny voices for the different characters. My 2 year old daughter asks for it too and I find myself reading it over and over to them. My favorite part is that I enjoy reading it over and over again. It is very cute and very fun!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Silly cows!, May 10, 2009

By 

J. C. C. "love to shop mom" (Wisconsin, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sakes Alive! A Cattle Drive (Hardcover)

fun book - 3 yr old loves cows! Laughs out loud when I shout the words - "Sakes Alive..." Am a fan of Karma Wilson books. Funny and enjoyable story.