The Cow in Apple Time

by Robert Frost, Dean Yeagle (Illustrator)

This short poem, written in 1914 by beloved American poet Robert Frost, is a humorous ode to a headstrong Holstein who crashes through a stone wall into the apple orchard of a New England farm. Gorging delightedly on the fallen fruit, she drools and bellows impressively in the funny illustrations that eventually reveal an aftermath that is not so happy as the fruit ferments in her stomach and she can't give milk. Drawing on his real-life experiences as a farmer, Frost tells his tale in perfect rhyme and with a rhythmic syncopation in the style of early jazz. Amusing and playful, the illustrations present a perfect pairing of word and picture.

Genres: Poetry, Picture Books

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 28, 2005

About the author

Flinty, moody, plainspoken and deep, Robert Frost was one of America's most popular 20th-century poets. Frost was farming in Derry, New Hampshire when, at the age of 38, he sold the farm, uprooted his family and moved to England, where he devoted himself to his poetry. His first two books of verse, A Boy's Will (1913) and North of Boston (1914), were immediate successes. In 1915 he returned to the United States and continued to write while living in New Hampshire and then Vermont. His pastoral images of apple trees and stone fences -- along with his solitary, man-of-few-words poetic voice -- helped define the modern image of rural New England. Frost's poems include "Mending Wall" ("Good fences make good neighbors"), "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" ("Whose woods these are I think I know"), and perhaps his most famous work, "The Road Not Taken" ("Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-- / I took the one less traveled by"). Frost was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for poetry four times: in 1924, 1931, 1937 and 1943. He also served as "Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress" from 1958-59; that position was renamed as Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry (or simply Poet Laureate) in 1986.

Frost recited his poem "The Gift Outright" at the 1961 inauguration of John F. Kennedy... Frost attended both Dartmouth College and Harvard, but did not graduate from either school... Frost preferred traditional rhyme and meter in poetry; his famous dismissal of free verse was, "I'd just as soon play tennis with the net down."

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little book caught my eye. I noticed it was by Robert Frost. Dean Yeagle took a poem and created a little children’s book out of it. I love Robert Frost so I had to get this and it took getting it ILL to get it.

The art is whimsical and has a lighthearted feel to it. It bright and shiny and the cow looks so darn happy. It makes me happy too. It’s a tale for beginners as there is only a few lines of text. I don’t know there is a point to it beyond the enjoyment of apples.

The 2nd and 3rd lines of the poem are as follows:
“To make no more of a wall than an open gate,
And think no more of wall-builders than fools.”
This was written decades ago, but it sounds like wisdom in todays world.

Both kids enjoyed this book and they laughed at the cow. The nephew gave it 4 stars and the niece gave it 3 stars.

[Kate Puleo Unger · Rating 2 out of 5]

We selected The Cow in Apple Time from the library because we needed a book about a cow. I didn't realize it was a Robert Frost poem that had been illustrated. The drawing were cute, and Christopher didn't have a problem reading the words, but we both struggled with the meaning.

I don't really enjoy classic literature or poetry. I'm sure that makes me a horrible person on some level, but oh well. You like what you like, right? Consider this rating low because of how we enjoyed it (or didn't) and not a reflection on Frost as a poet please.

http://www.momsradius.com/2016/07/juv...

[Carly Wesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

illustrations in this book are really awesome for all ages. The poem present is really interesting. The Robert Frost illustrations really brought the words to to life.

It would not be something that I would read again. A one time read for me would be enough.Though the poem is really good, it is not something to read over and over again.

[Terry]

Lovely, colorful, expressive illustrations help kids visualize a poem. Read the full review at the Reading Tub website.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrator did a fantastic job of making this short Frost poem accessible to young children. A fun read, but not one we'd revisit again and again (thus, the three stars).

[Barbara Lovejoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Both the poem and the illustrations by Dean Yeagle are delightful! I loved the cover of the book so much and being a fan of Robert Frost, I wanted my own copy of the book to add to my collection.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a stretch for my storytime - the short and clipped text is accompanied by delightful illustrations, but the vocabulary is a bit much for 2 and 3 year olds. Still, we had a great time talking about the cow who liked apples and how sad she was when she ate too many and then apple time was over. And the illustrations really are expressive and make the text very accessible.