Cow boy is not a cowboy

PreS-Gr 2--A great lesson in individuality delivered in a charming fashion. Humdrum Farm is just what one would expect--boring. Chickens lay average eggs; pigs roll in the mud (but only when necessary), and the goats eat tasteless rice cakes. Enter Goat Girl--the antithesis of dull. She's into French cooking, likes to dress up as a dinosaur, and enjoys riding in a hot air balloon over the countryside. When Goat Girl meets Merle, an exceedingly dull bull, she is smitten. She instantly starts calling him "cowboy" despite the fact that Merle insists that he is not adventurous nor brave, and has a suspicion that he is allergic to horses. There is no way that this cow, who is a boy, is in fact, a cowboy. However, fate has other plans for Merle and when some chickens attempt to cross the road, Merle is forced to channel his inner cowboy and save the day. VERDICT This picture book debut is a must have for all collections. The colorful digital illustrations are full of humor and children will fall in love with Goat Girl and her joie de vivre.--Amy Nolan, St. Joseph P.L., MI

Can Goat Girl pass on her excitement to Humdrum Farm's most unexcitable denizen? The chickens lay "extraordinarily average" eggs. The pigs roll in the mud only when they absolutely must (and on schedule), and the goats are content to eat the most boring foods ("paper flavor rice cakes")…but not Goat Girl. She makes exciting food (like ratatouille!). She devises her own games when the other goats won't play. She flies a hot air balloon when the other goats close Lookout Rock for fear of heights. From her balloon she spies Merle, Humdrum Farm's oldest resident. He wants only to read his Encyclopedia of Dictionaries. When Goat Girl addresses him as "Cowboy," he assures her though he is a bull, which he defines as "a cow who is a boy," he is not a cowboy. Goat Girl gives him a pep talk with zero results. But when the chickens indulge their only free-range thought and head for the dangerous road…will Merle help Goat Girl save the day? Barrington's debut is a fun farm fable with softly modeled cartoons that are full of zip (well, at least when Goat Girl is around) and expressive (mostly expressing boredom) creatures. Little listeners, who'll be anything but bored, will likely hope for further Goat Girl and Cow Boy adventures. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at 69.1% of actual size.) This chipper tale of an unlikely farm friendship is sure to bring a smile. (Picture book. 2-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.