The Cow Who Said Wow!
On the Farm
The Cow Who Said Wow! is an enticing, hands-on board book for active little ones and first time readers.
John Perkinson’s interactive board book, The Cow Who Said Wow!, is a creative introduction to life on the farm. With each turn of the page, parents, toddlers, and the youngest solo readers can follow along with the explorations of a curious cow.
Amidst a colorful, inviting backdrop of blue skies, green pastures, and a red barn, a friendly bovine wanders about the farm to visit with her friends and their offspring, including horses, sheep, pigs, ducks, chickens, and a farmer and his son. The clever, interactive draw is a big, bright red button set at the corner of the book that emits a singular “Wow!” sound when pressed. Youngsters will delight in the repetitive activity that anthropomorphizes the happy-go-lucky, smiling cow.
Though the story line itself is quite minimal and has an abrupt ending that may prove less than satisfying for early readers with comprehensive skills, the complementary illustrations, elementary narrative, and exclamatory “Wow!” factor propel the book forward—an ideal combination to engage the youngest set.
The book shines in its simplicity. The design layout is crisp and clean with a basic line of text to describe the visuals pulled along as an airplane banner at the top of each page. The cow’s humorous surprise vocalization is showcased in a speech bubble. While the use of a thick backing to accommodate the sound module could make the book more cumbersome for small hands, over time it should prove a quality barrier to guard against wear and tear.
With this quirky central character guiding her venture with a creative, vocal twist, the result is short, sweet entertainment. But beyond the attention-grabbing sound element, the book can also offer teachable moments for a shared adult/child experience. Here, the bright colors and country landscape can be acknowledged, familiar animals can be recognized and counted, and traditional barnyard cacophony can be interjected.
The Cow Who Said Wow! is an enticing, hands-on board book for active little ones and first time readers.
Reviewed by
Carol Davala
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
