Starred review from June 19, 2006
What do you get when a bunch of farm animals decide to enter a talent contest to win... a trampoline? Sounds like the latest joke at the watercooler, but it's just Cronin and Lewin (of Click, Clack, Moo
fame) at it again, with an off-the-wall tale poised to deliver giggles galore. Here they reprise their bovine beauties crooning à la Sinatra. But they are not the only contestants of the barnyard persuasion: the pigs practice an interpretive dance and Duck belts out his rendition of "Born to Be Wild" in performances sure to amuse young and adult readers alike. While children will enjoy the pure silliness of singing animals alone, older readers will appreciate Cronin's tongue-in-cheek asides, such as the footnote about the trampoline being "slightly used," along with a legal disclaimer. Lewin's expansive brush strokes pay further tribute to this tall tale of animals that sing and dance behind closed barn doors. By story's end, the animals have returned to their regular routines, except for the extra "boing" in their song—whose source comes clear in Lewin's closing image of the animals enjoying the well-earned prize. Fans will hope for many more farmyard adventures from this dynamic duo. Ages 3-7.
December 1, 2017
PreS-Gr 1-Cronin and Lewin's picture book by the same name has been issued in a smaller beginning reader format. Most of the original text appears in this book except for notes on the bottom of two pages, which contain sophisticated vocabulary. These omissions do not detract from the story. One quibble: when Farmer Brown "watched from the left" and "watched from the right," the same spot illustration is used. This is a popular picture book and beginning readers are sure to enjoy reading it independently. VERDICT A solid entry to beginning reader collections.-Laura Scott, Farmington Community Library, MI
Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
August 1, 2006
PreS-Gr. 3. When Duck reads about an upcoming talent show at the county fair ("1st prize: A TRAMPOLINE"), he organizes the animals on Farmer Brown's farm into nightly rehearsals. On Saturday evening, suspecting that the animals are up to something and reluctant to leave them alone for long, the farmer loads them all into the back of his pickup. They sneak off to the contest and wow the judges with stellar performances such as Duck's "QUACK, QUACK, QUACK, QUUAAAAAACKK" ("Born to Be Wild"). The clever, deadpan story is fun, but the droll illustrations, strong strokes of black lines washed with watercolors, ratchet the comedy up a notch or two. Like the other books in the series that began with the Caldecott Honor Book " Click, Clack Moo: Cows That Type" (2000), this amusing picture book makes a terrific read-aloud choice. Parents and teachers will find it well suited to sing-along storytimes. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)
January 1, 2010
Farmer Brown's animals, led by Duck, sneak by Farmer Brown to enter the talent show at the county fair in hopes of winning first prize, a trampoline. Cronin's rhythmic text is well paced and full of humorous details. The silly story is enhanced by Lewin's energetic watercolor illustrations. This paper-over-board edition is notable for its bargain price.
(Copyright 2010 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
January 1, 2007
Farmer Brown's animals, led by Duck, sneak around Farmer Brown to enter the talent show at the county fair in hopes of winning first prize, a trampoline. The predictable story is enhanced by Lewin's energetic, loose watercolor illustrations. Cronin's rhythmic text is well paced and full of funny small details.
(Copyright 2007 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
August 1, 2006
K-Gr 3 -When Duck discovers an ad in the paper announcing a talent show at the county fair (first prize, a slightly used trampoline), Farmer Brown -s animals are unstoppable. The cows and sheep concentrate on their singing while the pigs work on interpretive dance. How the suspicious farmer could ever confuse all this noise with routine snoring is a bit of a stretch, but the hilarious late-night practice scenes inside the barn will help readers make the leap. At the talent show, the cows and sheep impress some of the judges, but lack of sleep has the pigs truly snoring when it is time to perform. Fortunately, Duck steps in to save the day with a winning version of -Born to Be Wild. - After the talent show, Farmer Brown suspects nothing until he hears -boings - coming from the barn. Comical watercolor illustrations provide the punch lines to many jokes within the well-paced text. Some of the sophisticated humor will go over the heads of most children, especially the witty footnotes that pepper the story. However, like "Click, Clack, Moo" (2000) and "Giggle, Giggle, Quack" (2002, both S & S), this story makes a great read-aloud, and fans of the series will be ecstatic to see another episode of mischief in the barnyard." -Julie Roach, Cambridge Public Library, MA"
Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.