Review by Booklist Review
Why does the cow named in the title love cookies? The answer makes a warm, funny, repetitive story. Hogs eat slop: They love to eat the gooey glop. The geese honk for joy and flap their wings. They love the corn that Farmer brings. But the cow loves cookies. Why? The big, clear watercolor pictures with thick ink lines leave lots of white space, and the simple rhyming lines, with descriptive words and messy action, will encourage preschoolers to join in. The image of the cow sticking her head through the kitchen window to slurp up the newly baked cookies is as entertaining as the picture of a grinning horse nibbling hay. A culminating scene shows the farmer with the cow taking a sweet snack break together. Even after kids learn why the cow loves cookies, they will enjoy going back to the story's beginning and delighting in the sounds of the words and the delicious rhymes.--Rochman, Hazel Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Wilson's (Bear Snores On) rhymed cumulative poem introduces children to the kinds of food farm animals eat. "When-ever Farmer feeds the horse,/ he feeds the horsey hay, of course." Each stanza ends by emphasizing that, "the cow loves cookies," and portrays the cow stealing cookies from a round-faced baby or pilfering cookies from a cookie jar (while wearing a rather guilty expression). Hall's (City I Love) watercolor illustrations, lined in thick, black ink, feature an old-fashioned, idyllic farm with a white-bearded farmer, cookies the size of pancakes, and a gaggle of hungry animals. "So why does the cow love cookies?" Because the cow and farmer have made a deal-every day they have a picnic lunch, and "when the two sit down to munch,/ he takes cookies from a tin/ and Cow gives milk to dunk them in." While some parents may object to a book that encourages making cookies one's primary food group, children will identify with the blissful look of the farmer and his cow who "both love milk and cookies!" Ages 3-7. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-As a farmer makes his daily rounds, readers learn what he feeds his animals and how often. "Whenever Farmer knows what the horse,/he feeds the horsey hay, of course./The horse just loves to nibble hay./He eats it every single day. " In a twist, readers are reminded after each animal's feeding, "But the cow loves cookies." As the cumulative story progresses, what each creature eats is repeated in successive fashion. "The geese munch corn; it tastes so fine./The hogs think slop is just divine./The dog adores his doggy treats./But Cow would rather eat things sweet.." The story ends with Farmer and Cow sharing cookies and milk. The cleverly rhyming text and pace of the story make it perfect for a read-aloud. The whimsical ink and watercolor illustrations add to the humor. An instant storytime crowd pleaser.-Sarah Polace, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Parma, OH (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
A farmer's horses love hay, his geese gobble corn, and his dog wags its tail, but his cow only eats cookies. Thick black ink outlines the subdued watercolors showing a jolly farmer caring for his menagerie. While the rhyming text is accessible, some of its placement is odd. Also, the story's denouement--farmer and cow dunking cookies in fresh-squeezed milk--is a tad bizarre. Copyright 2010 of The Horn Book, Inc. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
While most of the farmer's animals enjoy their critter foods (chickens chomp chicken feed, geese gobble corn, horsey nibbles hay), cow inexplicably loves cookies. Well-executed, bouncing rhyme will have children bobbing their heads as the farmer makes his feeding rounds and cow sneaks sugary treats. Hall's sure-handed strokes of graphite carve out friendly, watercolor animals and farm vistas. Something wonderfully retro spreads across these pages of perky-eyed creatures. Their eyebrows pop from their foreheads with classic, expressive "U" shapes; fields of dirty greens, mustardy tans and khaki browns conjure up the comforting palette of mid20th-century picture books. The farmer's red gingham shirt and navy overalls recall the traditional, bright colors of the same era, while a perfect blue sky hovers above. Children might miss these subtle allusions, but they will still bask in the book's warmth. Text settles comfortably both within the artwork and the bordering white space, seamlessly integrating sounds and story with illustration. This self-assured, simple and successful picture book closes with a goofy, age-old punchline that will get giggles every time. (Picture book. 2-6)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
