Product Description

Farmer Brown
has a problem.
His cows like to type.
All day long he hears

Click, clack, MOO.
Click, clack, MOO.
Clickety, clack, MOO.

But Farmer Brown's problems REALLY begin when his cows start leaving him notes....

Doreen Cronin's understated text and Betsy Lewin's expressive illustrations make the most of this hilarious situation. Come join the fun as a bunch of literate cows turn Farmer Brown's farm upside down.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3462 in Books
• Brand: Simon & Schuster
• Published on: 2000-02-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 32 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780689832130
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Amazon.com Review
The literacy rate in Farmer Brown's barn goes up considerably once his cows find an old typewriter and begin typing. To the harassed farmer's dismay, his communicative cows quickly become contentious:

Dear Farmer Brown,
The barn is very cold at night. We'd like some electric blankets.
Sincerely,
The Cows

When he refuses to comply with their demands, the cows take action. Farmer Brown finds another note on the barn door: "Sorry. We're closed. No milk today." Soon the striking cows and Farmer Brown are forced to reach a mutually agreeable compromise, with the help of an impartial party--the duck. But this poor, beleaguered farmer's "atypical" troubles are not over yet!

This hilarious tale will give young rebels-in-the-making a taste of the power of peaceful protest and the satisfaction of cooperative give and take. Witty watercolors by award-winning illustrator Betsy Lewin (Snake Alley Band, Araminta's Paint Box) will make this a favorite for one and all, even if words such as "ultimatum" and "neutral" throw the younger set. (Ages 5 to 8) --Emilie Coulter

From Publishers Weekly
Plucky barnyard denizens unite to improve their working conditions in this hilarious debut picture book from Cronin (appropriately enough, an attorney). Farmer Brown is dumbfounded when his cows discover an old typewriter in the barn and begin experimenting ("All day long he hears click, clack, moo. Click, clack, moo. Clickety clack moo"). Things really get out of hand when the cows began airing their grievances. Lewin (Araminta's Paint Box) conveys the fellow's shock as he reads: "Dear Farmer Brown, The barn is very cold at night. We'd like some electric blankets. Sincerely, The Cows." When Farmer Brown denies the cows' request, the bovine organizers go on strike. Through the use of the man's shadow, Lewin communicates his rage: the straw in his hat creates the appearance of his hair on end. With help from a neutral duck mediator, the exasperated Farmer Brown finally makes concessions. But, much to his dismay, the cows are not the only creatures that can type. Cronin humorously turns the tables on conventional barnyard dynamics; Lewin's bold, loose-lined watercolors set a light and easygoing mood that matches Farmer Brown's very funny predicament. Kids and underdogs everywhere will cheer for the clever critters that calmly and politely stand up for their rights, while their human caretaker becomes more and more unglued. Ages 3-7. (Feb.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Lewin's wild line-and-watercolor cartoons are perfectly suited to this barnyard farce about animals that go on strike to demand better working conditions. The cows find an old typewriter in the barn, and to the farmer's fury, they type messages to him: "Dear Farmer Brown. The barn is very cold at night. We'd like some electric blankets. Sincerely, The Cows." When he refuses their request, they put up a notice: "Sorry. We're closed. No milk today." The hens are cold, too, so they join the cows--no eggs, either. There are ultimatums, emergency meetings, and a hilarious surprise ending. Today's preschoolers may have to be told about antique clackety typewriters, but they'll love the slapstick of the domesticated animals who get the farmer to toe the line. The thickly outlined pictures extend the fun, with closeups of the frenzied boss, the stalwart cows, and the hens cozy under their plugged-in blankets. Then there are the ducks . . . Hazel Rochman

Customer Reviews

Inspired bovine silliness for preschoolers and parents
The utter absurdity of the premise - cows that type? - led me to flip through this book, and then to purchase it. My 2 1/2 year old loves it, and appreciates the whimsy and incongruity of the plot: Farmer Brown's cows find a typewriter and type out a demand letter for electric blankets, leading to a comical negotiation to end a milk strike. The illustrations are charming and funny (I especially love the expressions on the cows' faces as they wait for Farmer Brown to respond to their notes), and the droll text is just simple enough, with just enough repetition, to keep the younger set hooked. As a lawyer, I got a kick out of the "dispute resolution" - sadly, many of my colleagues don't negotiate half as well as the bovines in this book.

Cows that Counter the Stereotypes in this Award Winner
Click, Clack, Moo recently won the Caldecott award, and is very deserving of that honor. I enthusiastically endorse it for your children aged from 2 through 6. This book will be considered a classic children's tale within five years.

Many great children's books start from the point of view of role reversals. You take objects or animals and make them be like humans. But no one could have developed a funnier idea along those lines than having typing cows who lead a general strike on a farm.

"Farmer Brown has a problem. His cows like to type."

"All day long he hears. Click, clack, moo. Click, clack, moo. Clickety clack, moo."

"At first, he couldn't believe his ears."

But it gets worse. One day he receives a typewritten note that says:

"Dear Farmer Brown,

The barn is very cold at night. We'd like some electric blankets.

Sincerely,

The Cows"

Farmer Brown makes the mistake of treating the cows like cows. He tells them, "No way." They type up a note and put it on the barn door. "Sorry. We're closed. No milk today."

The next day, another note appeared.

"Dear Farmer Brown,

The hens are cold too. They'd like electric blankets.

Sincerely,

The Cows"

The negotiations continue toward a hilarious conclusion.

Each of these letters to Farmer Brown cannot help but inspire gales of uncontrollable laughter among your tykesters. The ending may actually cause laughter-induced pain because it is so hilarious.

The illustrations are particularly appealing. Ms. Lewin has drawn them to be large in features, vivid, bold, and colorful. They make the story more intense by capturing both a sense of movement and the personality of the characters. This is one of the best illustrated stories I have ever seen for preschoolers. That is important, because the illustrations carry a heavy burden as you first read this story to your child. No one has ever seen a typing cow, so the illustrations help fill in the gaps. Naturally, you will see opportunities to handle side issues like "how would a cow type, if a cow could type?"

Interestingly, Ms. Cronin is an attorney who also collects antique typewriters. Anyone who has ever been part of a labor negotiation will quickly recognize the universal truths around which she has structured this delightful story. I suspect that she has been part of one or two.

After you and your child become familiar with the story, I suggest that you think together about what is the right thing to do with regard to animals who do not send you typewritten letters. It is never too early for children to learn about each person's responsibility to live in harmony with our fellow creatures and to properly care for them.

May you always be clear about what you are looking for! Who knows? You may even get it.

first-rate read-aloud
I heard "CLICK CLACK MOO" read aloud on National Public Radio and knew I had to have this book. Educational (the art of negotiation!), entertaining (animal sounds the young ones will enjoy)and clever, this one is a cross between Dr. Seuss and Gary Larsen's Far Side. Well written with hilarious illustrations. Don't pass this one by.