Cows in the Kitchen
By Jennifer Gennari,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Children love the wide-eyed, fun-loving animals.
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What's the Story?
Cows in the kitchen, pigs in the pantry, ducks in the dishes--where's Tom Farmer? He's asleep outside while his animals take over the farmhouse, gleefully making a mess. Children love the wide-eyed, fun-loving animals, and delight in shouting to wake up the farmer.
Is It Any Good?
The cheerful, stylized illustrations, farm animals, and repetition make this book an instant hit with toddlers. It only takes one page for parents and children to start repeating the sounds and singing their way through the book. Toddlers can read this book by themselves by remembering and repeating the simple phrases.
Katherine McEwen's brightly colored backgrounds create visual excitement by setting off the zany animals. The liberal use of patterns and sweeping sense of movement adds to the fun. Her animals dance upside down with bent legs, wide eyes, and big grins, wreaking havoc in the farmhouse. Children love the idea of making a mess, and here the animals do it for them.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the animals' silly antics. Kids: Which ones are your favorite? Which animals would you like to see in real life?
Book Details
- Author: June Crebbin
- Illustrator: Katharine McEwen
- Genre: Picture Book
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Candlewick Press
- Publication date: January 1, 1998
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 2 - 4
- Number of pages: 32
- Last updated: July 12, 2017
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