When Cows Come Home [Hardcover]

David L. Harrison (Author), Chris L. Demarest (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 2 and up

Lively illustrations and nonsense rhymes capture scenes of boisterous merriment as silly cows run off to fiddle, dance, play tag, and have all sorts of fun as soon as the farmer turns his back.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Memorable stanzas and animated spreads jazz up this look at the silly things cows just might do when people stop paying attention to them. "You never saw / Such cow horseplay / When Farmer looks / The other way!" writes Harrison ( Somebody Catch My Homework ) as several holsteins peek expectantly around the corner of a barn door. Liberated from Farmer's watchful eye, the members of the herd pedal bicycles, swim in a pond and clown around with some braying donkeys. Although Harrison's litany of heifer high jinks sags a bit in the middle, rhyme and repetition subtly encourage beginning readers to recognize and practice key words. Demarest's ( Smart Dog ; My Little Red Car ) splashy watercolors lend a sense of playful motion and fluidity to his characters; the cows--who, modestly, have only the barest suggestion of udders--execute nary a clumsy move and appear practically weightless as they finally "swish their tails / And gently sway / . . . / And head for home / In a cowlike way." A bright, appealing volume with a mischievous nature. Ages 2-8.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1-"When cows come home at the end of the day,/They swish their tails and gently sway," behaving in a most "cowlike way." When Farmer turns his back, however, his bovine herd kicks up its heels and has a rollicking good time playing tag, fiddling, dancing, biking, and swimming. As the beasts return to the barn, though, they once again act like cows. With a tweak of illustrative humor at the end, Farmer winks at readers-he knows what those cows have been up to all day. The romping activity of the expansive, cartoonlike watercolor illustrations fully complements the motion in the rhythmic and evocative text. With the exception of a few difficult words, beginning readers will find this to be pure fun to read on their own, and younger children will enjoy listening to it.
Mary Lou Budd, Milford South Elementary School, OH
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 2 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Boyds Mills Press; 1st edition (February 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1563971437
• ISBN-13: 978-1563971433
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,634,293 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

David Harrison was born in Springfield, Missouri. He has lived in Ajo, Arizona (as a boy), Atlanta, Georgia (as a graduate student), Evansville, Indiana (as a pharmacologist), Kansas City, Missouri (as an editorial manager) and back in Springfield (as a business owner). Counting his first poems at age six, David has been a writer most of his life and has produced 80 published books of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction that have won dozens of awards. He holds two degrees in science and two honorary doctorates of letters (MSU and Drury University). He is poet laureate for Drury and David Harrison Elementary School was named in his honor. He regularly speaks at conferences and visits schools.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fun Book With Funnier Pictures, September 18, 2000

By 

Paul Martin (Waukesha, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: When Cows Come Home (Hardcover)

Appropriate for almost any age, this book reads like a song. These cows are so hillarious to follow through this story, that before you know it, the story is over. You'll find no deep meaning here, just mischievous cows who love life, and want to have fun.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for kids!, August 3, 2010

By 

Podpaddler (CT) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: When Cows Come Home (Paperback)

This is very popular in the pre-school that I worked in....and if you can find this with the CD, GRAB IT!! You (and the kids) will love it!!! Great fun!!