Dooby Dooby Moo (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Betsy Lewin (Illustrator)
Key Phrases: Farmer Brown

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3–When Duck discovers an ad in the paper announcing a talent show at the county fair (first prize, a slightly used trampoline), Farmer Brown's animals are unstoppable. The cows and sheep concentrate on their singing while the pigs work on interpretive dance. How the suspicious farmer could ever confuse all this noise with routine snoring is a bit of a stretch, but the hilarious late-night practice scenes inside the barn will help readers make the leap. At the talent show, the cows and sheep impress some of the judges, but lack of sleep has the pigs truly snoring when it is time to perform. Fortunately, Duck steps in to save the day with a winning version of Born to Be Wild. After the talent show, Farmer Brown suspects nothing until he hears boings coming from the barn. Comical watercolor illustrations provide the punch lines to many jokes within the well-paced text. Some of the sophisticated humor will go over the heads of most children, especially the witty footnotes that pepper the story. However, like Click, Clack, Moo (2000) and Giggle, Giggle, Quack (2002, both S & S), this story makes a great read-aloud, and fans of the series will be ecstatic to see another episode of mischief in the barnyard.–Julie Roach, Cambridge Public Library, MA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 3. When Duck reads about an upcoming talent show at the county fair ("1st prize: A TRAMPOLINE"), he organizes the animals on Farmer Brown's farm into nightly rehearsals. On Saturday evening, suspecting that the animals are up to something and reluctant to leave them alone for long, the farmer loads them all into the back of his pickup. They sneak off to the contest and wow the judges with stellar performances such as Duck's "QUACK, QUACK, QUACK, QUUAAAAAACKK" ("Born to Be Wild"). The clever, deadpan story is fun, but the droll illustrations, strong strokes of black lines washed with watercolors, ratchet the comedy up a notch or two. Like the other books in the series that began with the Caldecott Honor Book Click, Clack Moo: Cows That Type (2000), this amusing picture book makes a terrific read-aloud choice. Parents and teachers will find it well suited to sing-along storytimes. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum (August 8, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689845073
• ISBN-13: 978-0689845079
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #328,316 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Better than its predecessors!, August 31, 2006

By	S. Hogan (Orange County, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I didn't think life got any better than Click Clack Moo, but Dooby Dooby Moo tops it. I love it! Dooby Dooby Moo is one of those rare books that holds enjoyment for kids and adults alike. Kids like the story of the talent show and each animal's attempts to win, while parents get to laugh their heads off at the pig's interpretive dance. It's a great read-aloud book because the adult can sing along (very easy tunes we all know) and kids love that part. I highly recommend Dooby Dooby Moo, especially to any lover of Farmer Brown's motley crew.

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If It's Cronin, It HAS To Be Five Stars!, September 13, 2006

By	Portianay "portianay" (KY, USA) - See all my reviews

In our library, we can't keep her books on the shelves, and the once-again winning combination of her words with Betsy Lewin's pictures just cannot be beat. Our small patrons love her books on one level, while their parents are getting a kick out of them on a totally different one. I always appreciate authors who understand that they have two audiences, after all, and Ms. Cronin feeds both appetites. The clever, gentle humor of this book will be welcomed by discerning parents, and by the end, I am sure of two things: Farmer Brown will never catch on, and I will never hear "Born To Be Wild" again without thinking of the beloved Duck.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun and Clever Barnyard Tale!, July 27, 2007

By	M. Allen Greenbaum (California) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

"Dooby Dooby Moo" is the kids' equivalent of a light summer read. It's loads of fun, easy to follow, poses no great moral crises, and has a touch of suspence. Doreen Cronin's casual, sometimes silly tone is complemented by a wry narrative and visual wit, some smart references to pop culture, and appealingly informal watercolors with unexpected colors (especially in the shadings). Betsy Lewin excels at both minimalist pictures (e.g., two cows grazing), as well as panoramic landscapes (an exquisite night time overview of a county fair).

The plots goes something like this: Farmer Brown is suspicious (but ultimately without a clue) about the sounds coming from his barn. The animals snore with a Sinatra flair: "Dooby, dooby moo" (the cows). Fa, la, la, la, baaa(the sheep), and "Whacka, whacka quack (the duck). While this play on "Strangers in the Night" doesn't relate directly to the story, adult readers who enjoy the allusion. When the animals aren;t snoring, we discover, (although Farmer Brown doesn't know), they're praciticing for the county fair talent contest! THe cows and sheep sing--Here's the sheep's renditions of "Home on the Range":

"Baaa, baaa, baaa, baaabaaa.
Fa la baaa, fa la baaaa, baaaa baaa baaa!"

Cronin perfectly mimics the sounds! The pigs...well, the pigs practice "an interpretive dance," (shades of "Fantasia") which, unfortunately, puts everyone to sleep, including their tenacious singing and dancing coach, the duck. Farmer Brown, distrusting his noisy animals, takes them with him to the county fair, exactly what they wanted! Cronin and Lewin earn the gold medal for their parady of pre-performance routines. Duck, somewhat of an anxious perfectionist, paces back and forth, the precious pigs coif their hair, and the cows, acting very much the diva bovine, dainitly quoff their tea.

The judges generally love the singing (with the notable exception of one very grumpy cat), but even they fall asleep during the porcine dance. THere's a wonderful surprise ending as Duck (who's had his eye on the first prize trampoline) lets loose with his version of "Born to Be Wild!" RIght to the last page, Farmer Brown remains ignorant of his homegrown talent, and the new trampoline in his barn. The duo that produced the Caldecott Honor-winning "Click Clack, Moo: Cows That Type," and several other best selling and/or award-winning stories, have teamed for another delightful behind-the-scenes romp with farm animals. "Dooby, Dooby, Moo" is 35 pages of light, lively entertainment.