Moo Who?

by Margie Palatini, Keith Graves (Illustrator)

Hilda Mae Heifer has lost her melodic mi-mi-moo! A klunk on the head and now Hilda's simply not sure what sound to make. Is it a mew, or an oink, or possibly a honk? With the eager help of the farm animals, Hilda is determined, once again, to sing her sensational moo. Which should most certainly be a MOO-MOOO-MOO-MOO. Moo Who? is a raucous read-aloud for the youngest noisemakers.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Storytime, Humor, Fiction, Animals, Fantasy

40 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Heidi-Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall I liked this book, but it has some odd aspects. The story seemed a little stagnant to me. Part of the illustrations (particularly the cow) were really odd--not cute and thus a bit scary. But I loved the whole "do you..." to help her realize she is not another animal, she is a cow. But my favorite thing was the high-flying cow pie.

8/7/10 I think some humor will be above the preschoolers' heads. But I think it could still be enjoyable. I will try it and see how it goes.

8/10/10 This went all right in preschool storytime. But I don't feel I read it as well as I could have.

8/12/10 This went much better and I had a more willing and responsive group to work with.

[Duane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book for any storytime with preschoolers! The story follows a cow that's been hit by a cow pie and now doesn't remember what kind of animal she is. She travles around the farm and tries to learn what she is. With lots of barn animal sounds, preschoolers will love the funny illustrations and humor. A great book for anyone's collection.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mommy, I like this book"

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Booklist (September 1, 2004 (Vol. 101, No. 1))

PreS-Gr. 2. Palatini's tale of a cow suffering from an identity crisis is sheer entertainment from cover to cover. When Hilda the Heifer gets bonked on the noggin by a flying cow pie, she develops an ugly bump and amnesia. The ensuing story follows Hilda on her quest to find out just who she is, where she belongs, and exactly what sound she is supposed to emit. The author of Piggie Pie (1997),Moosetache (1995),and many others gets it exactly right with her dialogues between Hilda and the animals whose identities she tries to adopt. Children will revel in the giggle-inducing lists of each species'identifying characteristics, such as coughing up hairballs and laying eggs, as the mixed-up bovine stumbles her way to the realization that "mooing is what she should be doing."Laugh-out-loud details within Graves'illustrations--from Hilda's rumpled, postbump pompadour to the bottle of Hog Wash used by a very hygienic pig--are pure delight.



Horn Book (Fall 2004)

Although Hilda Mae Heifer loves to sing, no one appreciates it. One day while crooning, she gets knocked "on the noggin." When she comes to, she can't remember what noise she makes: Honk? Oink? Mew? The other animals help her get her moo back; when she starts singing again they get earplugs. The zany illustrations complement the boisterously funny text.



Kirkus Reviews (May 15, 2004)

More verbal paradiddles from the Principessa of Puns and Wordfoolery. Thanks to a hard cow pie to the head, bovine diva Hilda Mae Heifer loses both memory and the ability to emit her earsplitting (off-key) moos. Confused, she wobbles over to a goose and honks. " 'Lady, enough of that honking! You're a cow. You moo.' 'Who?' answered Hilda. 'Me? Moo?' " Similarly worded encounters with chicks and other livestock ensue. A foreshortened body behind huge, mottled purple nostrils in Grave's characteristically oddball illustrations, Hilda waddles forlornly about the barnyard, uncertainly repeating, "Moo-oo. Me? Moo?" until her memory and Wagnerian voice at last return. The plot's a bit too thin to give this the udder perfection of Bad Boys (2003) or Web Files (2001), but it should still incite guffaws, particularly read aloud. (Picture book. 6-8)



Publishers Weekly (June 14, 2004)

When the cow Hilda Mae Heifer gets hit on the head by a flying cow pie, she wakes up clueless about the sound she's supposed to make. To the rest of the barnyard animals, that's no real tragedy. In fact, the general directive prior to her accident has been "Cover your ears when Hilda hit[s] a high note." But poor Hilda's quest to recover her sound seems to bring out the animals' benevolent side. Upon hearing the cow trying out his honk, a goose dons nerdy glasses, grabs a pointer and some visual aids, and lectures Hilda on what she is not. "Do you fly to Canada every year?" he says, map in tow. The pig, less successfully, tries to suggest that if Hilda were porcine she would most certainly have relatives who were "big boars"; Hilda thinks, "Maybe that did describe some members of her family." Palatini (Piggie Pie!) maintains a simultaneously arch and familiar tone throughout, narrating like a daffy relative, and Graves's (Frank Was a Monster Who Wanted to Dance) illustrations goose the jokes even more. His pictures-and his portrayal of the magnificently pink-snouted Hilda in particular-take on a corpulent plasticity. As for Hilda, she does indeed get her moo back. "Everyone else," writes Palatini, "got earplugs." Ages 4-7. (June) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.



Publishers Weekly (September 10, 2007)

With the help of her fellow barnmates, Hilda the cow tries to remember the sound she's supposed to make. Palatini "maintains a simultaneously arch and familiar tone throughout... and Graves's illustrations goose the jokes even more," wrote PW. Ages 4-7. (Sept.) Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.



School Library Journal (July 1, 2004)

PreS-Gr 2-When Hilda Mae Heifer gets knocked on the noggin by a cow pie, she wakes up without her "moo." She meets a series of barnyard animals and tries imitating each one. They all tell her she's a cow and ask her questions to prove that she is not their kin, yet she is still "not convinced that mooing was what she should be doing." A cat finally gets her back to normal, and Hilda resumes her loud, off-key mooing, while "everyone else got earplugs." The lost-voice premise is not a new one, but Palatini's way with words and Graves's slightly manic artwork instill the characters and setting with freshness and humor. Strong rhythms, occasional rhymes ("You're no swine. You're bovine"), and a variety of puns ("Are your relatives big boars?") liven up the narrative. The illustrations are filled with purples, blues, and gray-greens, lending a fantastical aura to the farmyard world. The switch to white backgrounds when each creature quizzes the cow paces the tale neatly. Hilda's absurdly prominent purplish nostrils and her enthusiastically goofy facial expressions are right on target. The scholarly goose and the rest of the animal cast each have distinct looks. The vigorous energy of author and artist makes this otherwise basic tale a good choice for reading aloud, or for one-on-one sharing.-Steven Engelfried, Beaverton City Library, OR Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny, and goodness knows we can use more humor in our lives. Also word play. I like the pattern, and how it avoids being completely predictable. I like that it takes awhile for Hilda Mae to feel like herself again.

(I do wonder who through the cow pie, though, and why it was hard enough to hurt so much.)

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't find this as funny a book as it seems to think it is. All the animals tell the cow she is supposed to moo. Though she tries to moo, she doesn't believe it, until she suddenly does, and why exactly was she suddenly convinced? I was left unconvinced by the reason for the change.

[Miss Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

a cow encounters a case of forgetfullness and forgets how to moo. Can the other animals teach him again? length is one on one.

[Amanda Walz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a story about a loud singing cow, who forgets that she's a cow and visits other animals on the farm.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun to play with animal sounds.

[Goshen PL Childrens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read at Storytime on July 28, 2021
Theme: Cow Stories

[Sam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of long. Got a lil bored.

[Laura Driskell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Walking out of the children’s book section at the library this book caught my eye. I picked it up and added to my stack of predetermined books that I needed for my class. Would I even use this book for an assignment I did not know, but what I did know was that the cover illustrations caught my eye and I knew it was a book I wanted to take a look at. I am glad I did, this book is cute funny, and nicely written.
Some may say that the illustrations are scary, but I disagree. Ugly cute is in, just check out all the cartoon shows that are on Cartoon Network. The illustrations are original but clear to children what animal it is. Which makes this a great read aloud for 3-5 year olds. I can just imagine reading this story aloud with the silly voice of Hilda Mae Heifer.
Hilda Mae Heifer is a cow that is known for her singing, but then she loses her MOO. Not sure what sounds she should be making she travels the farm looking for the right sound she should make. Each animal: Duck, Chicken, Pig and cat keep telling her that she is supposed to moo. I thought it is great that the author included why the cow was not these animals. For example, the ducked asked “Do you have two wings?” This book would be great to use in “what is different about these animals” lesson with preschoolers.
This story is just plain silly, but in a great way! Bright colors, and funny characters create such a fun read that students would want to hear over in over.

[Elizabeth Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moo Who?Palatini, Margie. Moo Who?. Ilus. Keith Graves. United States: Harper Collins Publishers,2004. Print. Preschool-Grade 2. In this story Hilda Mae Heifer loves to “moo” all day long. One day though she gets hit in the head with a massive cow pie and forgets what sound she is supposed to make. Throughout the story she imitates other animals and they try and help her realize that she is a cow and her job is to moo. Palatini and Graves both succeeded at coming up with a children’s story that can peak the interests of the children. The color scheme is rich and full of pictures big and small. Also I like how the sounds the animals make are highlighted and enlarged. If I were to use this book in class I would make an art lesson centered around this book. The kids could learn and play a matching game with what sound goes with what animal.Then they can make animals masks and use their creativity to color them.

[Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Children will love guessing why the cow named Hilda Mae Heifer is different from all the animals in this delightful book.

Hilda loves to sing, but her singing is not loved by others, one day while singing she gets whacked in the head by a cow pie and loses her identity.

Hilda Mae Heifer goes from thinking she is a goose and even a cat until she realizes what and who she is. Kids will delight in comparing Hilda the cow to the other animals she encounters in the book. The ending is satisfying and hilarious, especially the very last page that shows a line of animals buying earplugs from a rabbit.

Keith Graves who illustrated the book did a fantastic job and the pictures go fantastically with the words.

[Ruhama · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hilda Mae is known for her singing...though it’s not always pretty. One day, said cow is hit in the head with a cow pie, and she gets a light case of amnesia. Throughout the barnyard she explores, only to discover that she doesn’t honk, peep, oink or mew. At the end, she gets her moo back, and is happily singing again. The story is great— humorous and consistent and everyone will love Hilda Mae’s character. The pictures on the other hand are a bit scary and not quite as appealing. There are some great visual moments, but many of the
illustrations I found a bit disturbing. Hopefully I’m in the minority!

[Dena McMurdie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another super silly book. Hilda gets clonked in the head with a hardened cow pie and loses her moo. She searches high and low looking for the thing that she is supposed to do, but nothing she tries feels quite right.

Perfect to read out loud to young kids, Moo Who? is humorous and witty. The unique illustration style adds to the silliness of the story while giving it extra personality. Bright colors invite the reader and listeners in to this crazy world where a cow can lose her moo and find it again.
Read more reviews on my blog: Books for Kids

[Andrew Stockle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilda Mea Heffer is a cow who has lost her MOO. After a large cow pie hits her square in the face, Hilda completely loses her ability to Moo. The reader goes on a quest with Hilda to find her Moo. She passes several animals along the way and tries to imitate their sound until finally she gets her Moo back. This is a wonderful book with FANTASTIC illustrations which would make it easy for a class to see from far away. The text is repetitive in areas, so a teacher would really be able to involve the children in the reading by having them make all of the animal sounds. I would use this book to teach and review animal sounds and simple animal facts.

[Abigail Gibb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hilda Mae Heifer is a cow who loves to sing, but she isn't very good at it. One day she gets hit in the head with a cow pie and gets knocked unconscious. She wakes up and doesn't know that she is a cow. She goes around mimicking different animals, trying to figure out who she is.
I thought this was a cute children's book. It uses personification, which is very appealing to children. All of the animals talk. I also really enjoyed the illustrations. The colors are bright and vibrant. The illustrations give the book a fun and happy feeling. It was overall pretty good.

[Rosa Cline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun read! I read it out loud to my 3 year old preschool granddaughter and it was so fun for both of us! The text rhymes at times and then it's funny too. A cow gets amnesia and forgets what she is...she sees her friends and tries to talk like them. But they all say "your feet look like mine" "do you fly to Cananda" etc. It teaches children the various things about various animals looks, behaviors, and noises. A great book for a young child, or anyone of any age that would just like a good giggle!

[Whitney]

I thought this informative fantasy was hilarious. Hilda Mae Heifer has lost her moo due to an unfortunate accident so she goes on an adventure to discover her sound.
This book is quite fast paced, as far as the authors voice and characters depicted within. There was good farm-related vocabulary within the book and I thought it was a funny way to introduce animal noises within the book. Overall a very unique, funny and engaging read. This book can be used for creative writing assignments, and lessons involving farm life.

[Carole · Rating 4 out of 5]

A hard, high - flying cow patty can be a dangerous thing. Just ask Hilda Mae Heifer, a singing cow. She was singing when one hit her on the head and caused her to forget that she was a cow, so she went around the farm imitating the other animals trying to find out what she sounded like. Each animal told her that she was a cow, but she didn't believe them. The last animal was a cat who finally got through to her that she was a cow and that her sound was a moo.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilda Mae Heifer was having a good day until she was hit in the head by a cow pie and doesn't realize who she is or what she does. She travels around visiting other animals to try and figure out what she is and what her true "voice" is. Very cute book that would make a great read aloud to younger kids!

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a funny story about a cow who likes to sing and gets amnesia after being beaned in the head with a cow patty. The narrative is a bit long, but it's fun to read aloud with a lot of rhyming, tongue twister-like passages. And the illustrations are very colorful and entertaining. We enjoyed reading this book together.

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Singing cow, Hilda Mae Heifer, is hit one morning with a flying cow pie. Conk! Right on her head! When Hilda Mae wakes up, she has lost her moo! She wanders around to ask the goose, chicken, pig and cat if anyone knows what she is supposed to say. They finally convince her that she is a cow and she says, "Moooooo."

[Nancy J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hilda Mae Heifer gets amnesia from being hit in the heard with a cowpie. She has a goofy illustration but the thread of logic offered by those she meets to solve re-gain her proper voice is a good introduction of logic for young 3's.

[Mandy]

Hilda Mae Heifer was a very enthusiastic singer until one day she loses her moo after getting hit in the head with a cow pie. Now the other animals on the farm try to convince her that she moos instead of sounding like them.

[Paige Valensky · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a cute story about different animal sounds and would be ideal for very young ones. However, my goal is an upper elementary classroom, and with those students in mind, this was a pretty boring and silly book.

[babyhippoface · Rating 4 out of 5]

Those cow pies can do some serious damage, people.

[Aimee · Rating 5 out of 5]

My very most favorite Children's book. Darling illustrations and about a funny little cow that's seems to always be confused.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another wonderful storytime book - I love margie Palatini and your kids will too! There are a lot of great barnyard sounds for kids to imitate in this book.