Story time is the best time of the day. Whether we're snuggled up on the couch or cozy in our pjs before bed, reading stories with my little ones is one of my favorite things to do. Everyone has a favorite book they remember from their childhood, and every day, parents and kids are discovering new classics of their own. There are many fabulous children's books out there, some of which everyone knows about and others we would have never discovered had my son not simply pulled a random book off a library shelf. I created this blog to share some of these wonderful stories with you. Think of it as a year's worth of the best children's books around, since no day should be without a great story. In the end, I hope we'll all have discovered at least a few new titles that will have made their way onto our list of family favorites. Enjoy!







Monday, May 16, 2011

Day 53: Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type

"Farmer Brown has a problem.  His cows like to type.  All day long he hears click, clack, moo.  Click, clack, moo.  Clickety, clack, moo."  This fun, witty story had my son laughing from page one!  My husband and I find it hilarious, too, and we all just love reading it together.  My son loves the silliness of the whole story and can't wait to sing out "click, clack, moo.  Click, clack, moo.  Clickety, clack, moo!" as exuberantly as he can.  And cows that type?  He finds that quite hysterical in itself.   What are they typing about?  Oh, those crafty cows don't just type any old message to Farmer Brown.    The barns are cold, so along with the hens, the cows decide they need electric blankets to keep them warm at night.  When Farmer Brown dismisses their request, they go on strike, leaving a new note on the barn door: "Closed.  No milk.  No eggs."  The story and result of the ensuing negotiations is fantastically funny and bound to make both you and your child laugh outloud.   Betsy Lewin's illustrations have a fun, cartoon-like quality to them, and seem to fit Doreen Cronin's story line perfectly.  I also love how Cronin interjects more complicated vocabulary in the middle of what is otherwise a rather simple text:  "Duck was a neutral party, so he brought the ultimatum to the cows."   It makes my son (and us!) laugh and want to read it again and again, which is really all we can ask for in a book sometimes.  You could use this story to talk with your child about what it means to negotiate and compromise (something we, as parents, all find ourselves doing with our children -- perhaps more often than we would like!) but whether you read it just for fun or look for a lesson in the story, it's a great, silly read that children and adults are bound to love.

2 comments:

Lauren said...

By the way, this is currently available in hardcover at Barnes and Noble (bn.com) for $9.99 -- 41% off the list price!

rachelle | tinkerlab said...

I agree, this is such a funny book and the illustrations are lovely too. We got this as a gift when my daughter was born, and it was fun to finally grow into it.

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