Moo-moo, I love you!

Moo proves an extremely malleable term of affection in the late Krouse Rosenthal's text, illustrated by previous collaborator Lichtenheld (Duck! Rabbit!). "Moo-moo, I love you," declares an exuberantly cartooned cow to her calf. With a big hug, the two launch into a day of improvised "moo" words, with every oo filled in for emphasis. They celebrate a shared love of "pizza with extra moo-zzarella" and "farm hu-moo-r" (cut to a chicken crossing the road). Mom's love is even evident in watching her calf confidently "sch-moo-zing" with friends at the bus stop--a lovely example of how a parent takes pride in a child's navigating the greater world. Leaving no room for doubt, Mom declares her love is as big as a "Moo-se," which gives Lichtenheld the opportunity to cover two full spreads with a hugely antlered, deadpan critter ("You can moo-ve now," says the slightly annoyed calf, peeking out from behind the enormous animal). Printed on kraft colored paper and drawn with thick black crayon-like outlines and punctuations of warm color, it's a book that has the feel of a cherished homemade valentine from a devoted parent who is fond of wordplay. Ages 4--8. Agent: Amy Rennert, the Amy Rennert Agency. (Sept.)

Cowabunga! Love is surely the cow's moo-ow! In this brief, adorable lovefest, a black-and-white adult bovine caregiver expresses heartfelt adoration for its little one using delightful, comical plays on the word moo. Some of the puns are obvious, though they'll be no less chuckle-inducing to young readers/listeners. Take, for instance, the words moo-d, moo-vies, moo-sic, and moo-se. (A delicious, winking nod to a very famous children's-book title also appears near the end.) Some puns are trickier, with moo's occurring midword--hu-moo-r; marsh-moo-llows--and/or appearing in less familiar words, such as moo-zzarella, com-moo-nicator, and sch-moo-zing. In every case, moo is depicted with the o's filled in so it stands out in sharp relief whenever it appears. This helps youngsters identify targeted words both visually and aurally. Aside from its value as a very simply told, sweet, humorous, reassuring charmer, this book develops vocabulary creatively. After children have listened to the story, they should have an udderly grand time volunteering their own word lists that might include plays on moo and other cow-related words. Even the calf in the story gets into the act with its own moo pun at the end. Simple illustrations feature bold outlines; a basic tan, black, and white palette with touches of red; and occasional changes in lettering and font for emphasis. (This book was reviewed digitally with 9.5-by-19-inch double-page spreads viewed at 82.8% of actual size.) A moo-ve-lous, moo-ving tribute to love for a child. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.