Review by Booklist Review
Ages 4^-8. 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
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
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.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Horn Book Review
(Primary) Farmer Brown's cows find an old typewriter, and before you can say, ""Click, clack, moo,"" they're typing a request for electric blankets-the barn gets cold at night. When the elderly farmer refuses, they tack another typewritten message to the barn door: ""Sorry. We're closed. No milk today."" Soon the hens join the strike and begin withholding eggs. Farmer Brown types up his own response, which is delivered by a neutral party-a duck-and things seem to reach a satisfying resolution. What Farmer Brown isn't counting on is that-""click, clack, quack!""-ducks like typing, too. The story is told in economical prose, with the typewritten notes blended smoothly into the text. Betsy Lewin's illustrations, splashy watercolor washes, follow Farmer Brown from perplexed to perturbed, with his angry reaction to the cows' demands silhouetted against the barn door while the animals peek out with bovine passivity. The pictures of the cows and ducks striking typewriter keys with hoof and wing are equally delightful. That typewriters may be as anachronistic to today's kids as rumble seats and spinning wheels won't lessen their enjoyment of this amusing story. They may have never heard the racket of a real typewriter, but they will certainly be familiar with the art of negotiation, and will soon be chanting along: ""Click, clack, moo. Click, clack, moo. Clickety, clack, moo."" p.d.s. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
