What do you think?
Rate this book
Audrey
Audrey is a cow with poetry in her blood, who yearns for the greener pastures beyond Bittersweet Farms. But when Roy the horse tells this bovine dreamer that she is headed for Abbot's War, the slaughter house, Audrey knows that she must leave her home and friends sooner than she ever imagined. With the help of a whole crew of animals and humans alike, Audrey attempts to escape the farm she lives on--and certain death. Cleverly written as an oral account, this unique illustrated tale of an animal on the run, told "to camera", uses over thirty narrative voices, including six humans, four cows, three sheep, two sheep dogs, one pig and a very silly rooster. Full of heart and humor, Audrey (cow) is ultimately a very human story about life and death, friendship, and holding on to one's dreams--based more or less on a true story.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published November 11, 2014
11 people are currently reading
483 people want to read
About the author
Dan Bar-el
21 books97 followersDan Bar-el is an award-winning children’s author, educator and storyteller. His writing includes chapter books, such as The Very, Very Far North and Audrey (cow), picture books, such as Not Your Typical Dragon and It's Great Being a Dad, and graphic novels, such as That One Spooky Night and Dog Night at the Story Zoo.
For the past twenty-five years, Dan has been working with children ages 3 to 13. He’s been a school age childcare provider, a preschool teacher, a creative drama and a creative writing teacher. He’s developed a multitude of creative activities for children including movie making and a radio show involving school-age childcare centres across Vancouver. As a preschool teacher, Dan created Stories in Our Own Words, a program for 3 & 4 year olds based on the ideas of famed educator and author, Vivian Gussin Paley that fostered the development of the children’s own stories by recording them and then acting them as a group.
In the past, Dan trained and worked professionally as an actor, has written for theatre, as well as written and performed comedy across Canada. These days, when not writing or teaching writing to children through the organization CWC, Dan merrily travels around the country visiting many schools and libraries.
Hiking and travelling are two of his passions. In 2004, he completed the 800 km pilgrimage walk to Santiago de Compostella in Spain, and more recently, he did the Inca Trail to Machu Pichu in Peru. Cooking, baking and eating the results of said efforts are some of his others pursuits. Dan lives in Vancouver, BC with his wife, artist and goldsmith, Dominique Bréchault, and Sasha, the most adorable cat in the known universe.
For the past twenty-five years, Dan has been working with children ages 3 to 13. He’s been a school age childcare provider, a preschool teacher, a creative drama and a creative writing teacher. He’s developed a multitude of creative activities for children including movie making and a radio show involving school-age childcare centres across Vancouver. As a preschool teacher, Dan created Stories in Our Own Words, a program for 3 & 4 year olds based on the ideas of famed educator and author, Vivian Gussin Paley that fostered the development of the children’s own stories by recording them and then acting them as a group.
In the past, Dan trained and worked professionally as an actor, has written for theatre, as well as written and performed comedy across Canada. These days, when not writing or teaching writing to children through the organization CWC, Dan merrily travels around the country visiting many schools and libraries.
Hiking and travelling are two of his passions. In 2004, he completed the 800 km pilgrimage walk to Santiago de Compostella in Spain, and more recently, he did the Inca Trail to Machu Pichu in Peru. Cooking, baking and eating the results of said efforts are some of his others pursuits. Dan lives in Vancouver, BC with his wife, artist and goldsmith, Dominique Bréchault, and Sasha, the most adorable cat in the known universe.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
December 10, 2014
I'm going ahead and rating this five stars because I absolutely loved it! The fact that it was inspired by a true story of a cow escaping the slaughterhouse is just wonderful and has prompted me to find a farm sanctuary close to home to donate to. The animal voices that narrate this story are fun and the illustrations are adorable. Do judge this book by it's cover because it is just as cute as it looks!
Perfect for all animal lovers! Audrey is a brave and spunky little cow that all ages will enjoy.
Perfect for all animal lovers! Audrey is a brave and spunky little cow that all ages will enjoy.
August 30, 2016
After reading the first half, I thought I would never share this book with my grade 4 students. Would it not be traumatic to read about a "dinner" cow trying to escape her one-way trip to Abbat War? But then the second half of her story of her freedom, recapture, and saving was fun and the voices of the characters were unique. I hope I can create adequate voices as I read it. Based on a true story.
March 26, 2020
This was, unexpected in every possible way?
I loved it. Wow. What a heart.
I loved it. Wow. What a heart.
March 11, 2020
First sentence: How would I describe her in a word?
Premise/plot: Audrey is not a milk cow or a work cow. She’s a food cow. But though her so-called destiny is set—the slaughterhouse inevitable—she will not go down without a fight. This poet cow is on a mission to escape and find freedom. But one cow on her own seems doomed to fail, but a cow with friends...well...anything is possible with a community of support and knowledge.
This one is written as a script. It has many, many, many characters. Cows. Sheep. A rooster. Dogs. Deer. A skunk. A pig. Just to name a few...readers also hear from the humans in the story.
My thoughts: I definitely enjoyed this one. I haven’t quite decided if it was love or love, love, love. I would recommend it. It’s a treat to read. But is it as timeless as Charlotte’s Web or Babe?! I am not sure yet. But it’s a great way to spend a few hours.
Premise/plot: Audrey is not a milk cow or a work cow. She’s a food cow. But though her so-called destiny is set—the slaughterhouse inevitable—she will not go down without a fight. This poet cow is on a mission to escape and find freedom. But one cow on her own seems doomed to fail, but a cow with friends...well...anything is possible with a community of support and knowledge.
This one is written as a script. It has many, many, many characters. Cows. Sheep. A rooster. Dogs. Deer. A skunk. A pig. Just to name a few...readers also hear from the humans in the story.
My thoughts: I definitely enjoyed this one. I haven’t quite decided if it was love or love, love, love. I would recommend it. It’s a treat to read. But is it as timeless as Charlotte’s Web or Babe?! I am not sure yet. But it’s a great way to spend a few hours.
April 26, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this with my 12 year old. A story similar to Charlotte’s Web but written in the same vein as a VH1 Behind the Music episode, it’s incredibly fun to read aloud and easy to switch character voices as they’re announced at each new paragraph. Both fun and endearing, this was pure delight to get into during the frustrating Covid 19 quarantine.
April 30, 2017
My husband read this aloud because he does fantastic narrative voices. I think if I would have read this myself it could have been a bit long winded but with different voices, it had a "Creature Comforts" effect and was quite enjoyable. 😂
April 13, 2017
Did this as a "read aloud" with grade 3-4 students. It started out slow and difficult for them to follow, but as we got into the book they really enjoyed it.
September 3, 2019
This is the third selection for a children's book club I am facilitating. This was recommended by my local branch NYPL children's librarian and it is a great choice. Told from multiple points of view, we learn about Audrey, a Charolais cow who will be taken to Abbot's War (abbatoir). A plot is hatched to save her, and the story is told in the form of interviews with the animals involved as well as the people. There are so many topics for discussion and I hope the kids like it as much as I did.
March 30, 2022
Fantastic read aloud that my 10 and 12 year olds enjoyed immensely. We have loved all of Dan Bar-El’s books and can’t wait to read whatever he writes next. It was especially fun to switch voices for each character as the whole book is told in an interview style. Characters are distinct and easy to assign voices to. Thoroughly loved this. Highly recommend!
November 21, 2021
Read a long time ago.
Audrey (cow) has a good life on a bucolic farm until one of the older cows tells her she is a food cow, not a milk cow or a work cow, and that one day she will be taken to the Abbot's War like her mother was. Roy (horse) affirms the news, and her best friend Eddie (dog) enlists the aid of other farm animals to plot her escape. But her journey through the forest has its dangers.
The characters were complete individuals, including gentle Audrey with her smart vocabulary, boisterous Eddie, calm and wise Roy, terse Claudette (cougar), and the two smugglers, Stan and Oliver (raccoons).
Audrey (cow) has a good life on a bucolic farm until one of the older cows tells her she is a food cow, not a milk cow or a work cow, and that one day she will be taken to the Abbot's War like her mother was. Roy (horse) affirms the news, and her best friend Eddie (dog) enlists the aid of other farm animals to plot her escape. But her journey through the forest has its dangers.
The characters were complete individuals, including gentle Audrey with her smart vocabulary, boisterous Eddie, calm and wise Roy, terse Claudette (cougar), and the two smugglers, Stan and Oliver (raccoons).
July 25, 2019
This may be a bit deep but I cried at times in this book as I found it to be mirroring tales of concentration camps.
I’m a vegetarian as is my 6 year old son and I read this to him. I had hoped it would incite compassion in him even though he’s already very compassionate.
Such a cute and wonderful tale and I only wish all cows had the same happy ending as Audrey <3
Based on a true story.
I’m a vegetarian as is my 6 year old son and I read this to him. I had hoped it would incite compassion in him even though he’s already very compassionate.
Such a cute and wonderful tale and I only wish all cows had the same happy ending as Audrey <3
Based on a true story.
June 9, 2020
Read this aloud to my kids (ages 13, 11, and 7) and it was great fun. Told interview style, there's lots of opportunity for voice acting...if you like that kind of thing. There are solid messages of hope and compassion in there too.
January 18, 2020
This a good book to read to your kids. Written in a series of dialogues from the different characters perspective.
May 25, 2017
Nearly five stars. Loved this cute adventure told through the different animals' viewpoints.
May 26, 2016
The story of Audrey, the cow, is most suitable for young readers ages 8 to 12 but its sweet illustrations, descriptive - often poetic - writing and unusual format make it a story which readers of all ages will enjoy.
Audrey wants to escape from her life on the farm and from the inevitability of the slaughterhouse. She wants to be free and do as she pleases. The story of her plan and escape is told using a documentary-like format in which over thirty different characters - both human and animal - voice their accounts of Audrey and her story. Each portrays, often very humorously, the personality of its speaker and, at the same time, providing a variety of perspectives.
Audrey is determined to not accept her 'lot in life’ and her great escape is documented in an entertaining and funny story; and one with a happy ending.
Reviewed by Ms. Nagao.
Audrey wants to escape from her life on the farm and from the inevitability of the slaughterhouse. She wants to be free and do as she pleases. The story of her plan and escape is told using a documentary-like format in which over thirty different characters - both human and animal - voice their accounts of Audrey and her story. Each portrays, often very humorously, the personality of its speaker and, at the same time, providing a variety of perspectives.
Audrey is determined to not accept her 'lot in life’ and her great escape is documented in an entertaining and funny story; and one with a happy ending.
Reviewed by Ms. Nagao.
July 6, 2015
One of my guilty reading (and movie-watching) pleasures are stories of animals from the animal's perspective. Many people don't like it when animals are anthropomorphized, but I think it's fun, and I've read/seen some great animal stuff. I discovered this book at work and it was right up my alley. I didn't care for the "interview" format of the book, but the story was fun and had a lot of memorable characters. Eddie was one of my favorites, as was Boris and Stan and Oliver. I laughed out loud more than once at the crazy animal antics.
A fun read that I think younger readers would enjoy.
A fun read that I think younger readers would enjoy.
May 9, 2015
This book was just so cute and funny and sweet! It was very poetic and I couldn't help but love and root for Audrey. I think that the multiple points of were interesting and each character had a different personality although I would have wished he used different dialects and manners of speaking. This book was a really nice feel-good book and is a super short read. I really enjoyed this book, after all, it's not everyday you hear about a cow escaping a terrible fate.
December 12, 2014
A fun, cute little book!
November 27, 2015
Maine Student Book Award Nominee 2015-2016
January 21, 2016
Audrey does not want end up being meat for dinner. She has places to go and poetry to write
March 5, 2016
Everyone in the world should read a book this sweet, innocent and true!
August 18, 2017
Title: Audrey (Cow)
Author: Dan Bar-el
Publisher: Random House
Published: 11-11-2014
Pages: 242
Genre: Children's Fictions
Sub-Genre: Animals, Survival Stories, Action & Adventure, Farm Animals
ISBN: 9781770496026
ASIN: B00ONUYU3G
Reviewed For NetGalley and Random House
Reviewer: DelAnne
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Audrey is a cow with poetry in her blood, who yearns for the greener pastures beyond Bittersweet Farms. But when Roy the horse tells this bovine dreamer that she is headed for Abbot's War, the slaughter house, Audrey knows that she must leave her home and friends sooner than she ever imagined. With the help of a whole crew of animals and humans alike, Audrey attempts to escape the farm she lives on--and certain death. Cleverly written as an oral account, this unique illustrated tale of an animal on the run, told "to camera", uses over thirty narrative voices, including six humans, four cows, three sheep, two sheep dogs, one pig and a very silly rooster. Full of heart and humor, Audrey (cow) is ultimately a very human story about life and death, friendship, and holding on to one's dreams--based more or less on a true story.
Think of Wilber in Charlotte's Web. The difference is this bovine has the aspirations of fame and notoriety. When word arrives that a trip is off to the butcher is set, Audrey sets off to fulfill her dreams and save her life.
Done with simple text and detailed pencil and ink drawings.to illustrate the story as it progresses. A fun read to share and enjoy.
My rating of "Audrey Cow" is 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ONUYU3G/...
B&N Link: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/audr...
Books-A-Million Link: http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Audrey...
Google Play Link: https://play.google.com/store/books/d...
Indigo Link: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/...
GoodReads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Kobo Link: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/audr...
The Reading Room Link: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.ph...
Twitter Link: https://twitter.com/DelAnne531/status...
Author: Dan Bar-el
Publisher: Random House
Published: 11-11-2014
Pages: 242
Genre: Children's Fictions
Sub-Genre: Animals, Survival Stories, Action & Adventure, Farm Animals
ISBN: 9781770496026
ASIN: B00ONUYU3G
Reviewed For NetGalley and Random House
Reviewer: DelAnne
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Audrey is a cow with poetry in her blood, who yearns for the greener pastures beyond Bittersweet Farms. But when Roy the horse tells this bovine dreamer that she is headed for Abbot's War, the slaughter house, Audrey knows that she must leave her home and friends sooner than she ever imagined. With the help of a whole crew of animals and humans alike, Audrey attempts to escape the farm she lives on--and certain death. Cleverly written as an oral account, this unique illustrated tale of an animal on the run, told "to camera", uses over thirty narrative voices, including six humans, four cows, three sheep, two sheep dogs, one pig and a very silly rooster. Full of heart and humor, Audrey (cow) is ultimately a very human story about life and death, friendship, and holding on to one's dreams--based more or less on a true story.
Think of Wilber in Charlotte's Web. The difference is this bovine has the aspirations of fame and notoriety. When word arrives that a trip is off to the butcher is set, Audrey sets off to fulfill her dreams and save her life.
Done with simple text and detailed pencil and ink drawings.to illustrate the story as it progresses. A fun read to share and enjoy.
My rating of "Audrey Cow" is 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ONUYU3G/...
B&N Link: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/audr...
Books-A-Million Link: http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Audrey...
Google Play Link: https://play.google.com/store/books/d...
Indigo Link: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/...
GoodReads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Kobo Link: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/audr...
The Reading Room Link: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.ph...
Twitter Link: https://twitter.com/DelAnne531/status...
Read
May 2, 20222.5 Stars
I liked this ok, but I didn't love it. Normally, I would steer clear of even the slightest mention of a slaughterhouse, but this children's book seemed safe and reviews promised a happy ending, so I forged ahead. And things do work out. But I still found the subject matter distressing and much of the story depressing. Even during the happy parts, there was always an underlying sadness .
I also wasn't a big fan of the interview format. I liked the wide array of characters, but some of the voices were a bit annoying and the whole thing kind of felt disjointed. I guess this book just wasn't my cup of tea.
I liked this ok, but I didn't love it. Normally, I would steer clear of even the slightest mention of a slaughterhouse, but this children's book seemed safe and reviews promised a happy ending, so I forged ahead. And things do work out. But I still found the subject matter distressing and much of the story depressing. Even during the happy parts, there was always an underlying sadness .
I also wasn't a big fan of the interview format. I liked the wide array of characters, but some of the voices were a bit annoying and the whole thing kind of felt disjointed. I guess this book just wasn't my cup of tea.
June 2, 2025
Cute-enough read about a cow who doesn't want to go to Abbot's War (slaughter house) so she tries all kinds of things to avoid it. First, Audrey decides not to eat very much so she doesn't "fatten up." That didn't work so when the day comes, she has hatched a plot to escape and run into the woods. Audrey manages to escape and lives in the woods for several days and makes friends along the way. In the end, Audrey is sent to a sanctuary to live out the rest of her natural life
July 8, 2017
This is a very odd book. In many ways, it is written for a younger audience, but I think that children at age it seems to be written for would all become vegetarians as a result of the first 30 - 40 pages. I did enjoy it.
February 14, 2018
FANtastic! This was an exciting, fun read, reminiscent of Charlotte's Web and Babe. I loved the writing style, in the voices of the different animals and people, which also made it a perfect read aloud. The best part of this sweet story is that it was inspired by actual events!
July 15, 2018
This book was not my cup of tea, but as a children's librarian, I can recognize an engaging story and excellent illustrations. I'm looking forward to recommending this as a read-alike for a teacher who loves Charlotte's Web. It would also appeal to children who like Hank the Cowdog.
April 1, 2024
3 Stars
This may have been a bit too young for me in the way it was written, but the message is universal. The fact that this is based off of a story about a real cow who escaped a slaughterhouse and had the same ending makes me happy. I only wish more animals had a similar outcome
This may have been a bit too young for me in the way it was written, but the message is universal. The fact that this is based off of a story about a real cow who escaped a slaughterhouse and had the same ending makes me happy. I only wish more animals had a similar outcome
May 1, 2024
Cutest story ever. I loved it! Even as an adult reading a middle age book. I loved all the animals, the dialogue between the animals, how each animals characteristics were so beautifully exhibited through the adorable writing style. Sweet book about a little cow and a big dream, to be FREE 🤍😁
October 9, 2018
Simple tale with complex characters and an intriguing interview format-I loved it!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews