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Sailor Moo: Cow at Sea
Moo dreams of becoming a sailor. Little does she know, when she sets off toward the sea, that the first crew she joins will be composed of cats. Or that she herself will be hailed by a shipload of pirate steers as their captain's dairy queen. It's amoozing where a dream can take a girl -- a truth which Lisa Wheeler
and Ponder Goembel relish here in rollicking words and witty, windblown pictures.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
September 13, 2013
Parents, Pre-K through 1st grade teachers, and librarians, this review is for YOU. If you don't have SAILOR MOO: COW AT SEA in your collection, the young children in your life are missing out big time.
This book was love at first sight for me. Or I should say, love at first listen. I was at a writer’s conference maybe seven or so years ago when I heard the author, Lisa Wheeler, read this book aloud. Perhaps my response to it had something to do with my fondness for cows when I was a child. In fact, my dad still says “Look, Mamy, COW!” whenever he’s with me and we happen to pass a pasture. But really, I hadn’t realized just how much I still loved cows until I heard Lisa Wheeler tell me the story of Sailor Moo.
This book is so charming and humorous that the author could have been selling a full farm that day and I would’ve been first in line for it. And the funny thing is, I’m not much of a “rhyming” picture book person; they often feel forced and cheesy to me. But this book . . . well, I’ll refer back to the Amazon product description for an example: "Moo loved the way the ocean sang. / 'Like moo-sic,' she would utter, / as rocking, rolling ocean waves / would churn her milk to butter."
And it goes on and on, clever page after clever page. I love all of Lisa Wheeler’s books because her rhymes make perfect sense and read in a linear fashion, rather than the way so many other picture books twist the sentences to force a rhyme.
I’ve read this book several times to my daughters’ classrooms, and without fail, I’ve been asked by the kids to read it again. And they’re always more than willing to say the refrain with me in pirate talk: “Yo Ho Ho, and a shiver-me-be!”
Because, you know, the pirate cows obviously need to talk like Blackbeard. And don’t forget to talk like the fishing boat captain, either: the hissing Captain Silver Claw.
This is my all-time favorite read aloud! Hope you’ll give it a try!
This book was love at first sight for me. Or I should say, love at first listen. I was at a writer’s conference maybe seven or so years ago when I heard the author, Lisa Wheeler, read this book aloud. Perhaps my response to it had something to do with my fondness for cows when I was a child. In fact, my dad still says “Look, Mamy, COW!” whenever he’s with me and we happen to pass a pasture. But really, I hadn’t realized just how much I still loved cows until I heard Lisa Wheeler tell me the story of Sailor Moo.
This book is so charming and humorous that the author could have been selling a full farm that day and I would’ve been first in line for it. And the funny thing is, I’m not much of a “rhyming” picture book person; they often feel forced and cheesy to me. But this book . . . well, I’ll refer back to the Amazon product description for an example: "Moo loved the way the ocean sang. / 'Like moo-sic,' she would utter, / as rocking, rolling ocean waves / would churn her milk to butter."
And it goes on and on, clever page after clever page. I love all of Lisa Wheeler’s books because her rhymes make perfect sense and read in a linear fashion, rather than the way so many other picture books twist the sentences to force a rhyme.
I’ve read this book several times to my daughters’ classrooms, and without fail, I’ve been asked by the kids to read it again. And they’re always more than willing to say the refrain with me in pirate talk: “Yo Ho Ho, and a shiver-me-be!”
Because, you know, the pirate cows obviously need to talk like Blackbeard. And don’t forget to talk like the fishing boat captain, either: the hissing Captain Silver Claw.
This is my all-time favorite read aloud! Hope you’ll give it a try!
April 21, 2013
Very cute. This is the story of a cow who wants to go to sea. The first crew she joins is made up of cats. She becomes the ship's cook and befriends some manatees, the cows of the sea. During a storm, Moo ends up being thrown overboard, and her manatee cousins help her to another ship run by Captain Angus... who isn't exactly what she expects.
The pictures are beautifully done, and the story is rather clever. I enjoyed the "yo-ho ho and a shiver-me-be" refrains that end each section of the story. Over all, a very sweet picture book.
The pictures are beautifully done, and the story is rather clever. I enjoyed the "yo-ho ho and a shiver-me-be" refrains that end each section of the story. Over all, a very sweet picture book.
January 30, 2021
I'm such a sucker for rhyming picture books! This is a fun book to read and so creative.
Jan 29, 2021 We read this again before bed ❤️
Jan 29, 2021 We read this again before bed ❤️
October 8, 2022
I have not been the same since learning about the poop deck as a child
February 24, 2016
I enjoyed this book at first: The illustrations are nice; the rhyming text is fun; and a cow going off to sea is, yes, very a-moo-sing. But the ending. It could not be any more anti-climatic. Why, why, why can the happy ending not be that Sailor Moo has gone off to sea? Why, why, why must she abandon her dreams to settle down as a housewife while trying to change a man who is so clearly up to no good? Why? It's so disappointing.
The central message presented by this book is that, for women, dreams are just fluff and such before finally settling down to get married and have babies, as all good women should; and it also conveys the message that women *should* fall in love with and nurture "bad men." These are hardly the great kind of messages I want to be giving my daughter during our time together. I found myself getting halfway through this book, slamming it shut, and proclaiming, "And she lived happily ever after at sea. The end!"
We won't bother with this one again.
The central message presented by this book is that, for women, dreams are just fluff and such before finally settling down to get married and have babies, as all good women should; and it also conveys the message that women *should* fall in love with and nurture "bad men." These are hardly the great kind of messages I want to be giving my daughter during our time together. I found myself getting halfway through this book, slamming it shut, and proclaiming, "And she lived happily ever after at sea. The end!"
We won't bother with this one again.
November 3, 2016
So so cute and clever, and illustrations beautifully done.
February 7, 2019
Lots of puns and good rhyming
August 15, 2024
Little Moo unlike the other cows was not content, she longed to sail the seven seas. So she followed her dream, and became the ship's cook on a crew composed of cats, but when she was tossed overboard by a storm, and rescued by a Bovine filled pirate ship, and found herself in disbelief, until the tides were turned in her favor.
February 7, 2019
Cute cow love story with great illustrations and fun rhymes. Funny dairy puns/jokes.
February 7, 2019
Really cute story with some great rhymes. Very engaging and would be great to use in a classroom.
April 16, 2020
I read this book a lot to my kids when they were little. I love the rhymes, the artwork, the way the story flows and the humor.
December 9, 2025
A rather tacky children’s book. Not down my line.
August 22, 2017
Why do I love this book so much? Perhaps it's the clever rhymes and the sea-chantey tempo, which is just what was needed for a book about a cow at sea. Without the tempo, it's just a silly book. With the tempo, it's an epic of the waves! Sailor Moo, a young cow, finds a berth with some cats, earning her way by giving them milk. (Which...would make her a mother, but let's ignore that.) Then she hooks up with a team of actual sailing cows! Including their very handsome red bull captain. But the cows hide a nefarious secret. When Sailor Moo discovers the true nature of the ship and crew, she takes a stand, and makes the captain rethink his own life.
I can not tell you how many times I've typed "Sailor Moon," by the way.
This is a pretty universally appealing book, though, of course, kids who like pirates or cows are going to be particularly drawn in. I'd recommend this for library storytimes, for certain! You could start a good call-and-response for the chantey sections, really drawing your kids in. This is also a good pick for a picture book gift, so long as you're willing to help the parents out by reading this after they've had to do so for about the hundredth time!
I can not tell you how many times I've typed "Sailor Moon," by the way.
This is a pretty universally appealing book, though, of course, kids who like pirates or cows are going to be particularly drawn in. I'd recommend this for library storytimes, for certain! You could start a good call-and-response for the chantey sections, really drawing your kids in. This is also a good pick for a picture book gift, so long as you're willing to help the parents out by reading this after they've had to do so for about the hundredth time!
November 6, 2012
Moo the cow watches the undulating wheat as wishes it was the sea, and the ocean swells.
She dons a sailor cap and hooves it to the bay in hopes of finding a ship. She somehow ends up on ship captained by a Tom Cat and offers to pay her way by providing fresh milk everyday.
The cats ignore her so she befrinds the ocean life especially the sea cows. when a storm picks up and Moo ends up thrown overboard she is rescued by her sea cow friends who transport he to the nearest ship. The Captain , a handsome Red Angus cow, is everything she is looking for untill she finds out that this is a pirate ship... what will Moo do? will "bovine love" conquer all? Moo knew, will you?
With lovely illustrations that ceratinly glorify the cow... this book is a charmer.
She dons a sailor cap and hooves it to the bay in hopes of finding a ship. She somehow ends up on ship captained by a Tom Cat and offers to pay her way by providing fresh milk everyday.
The cats ignore her so she befrinds the ocean life especially the sea cows. when a storm picks up and Moo ends up thrown overboard she is rescued by her sea cow friends who transport he to the nearest ship. The Captain , a handsome Red Angus cow, is everything she is looking for untill she finds out that this is a pirate ship... what will Moo do? will "bovine love" conquer all? Moo knew, will you?
With lovely illustrations that ceratinly glorify the cow... this book is a charmer.
June 28, 2016
This book was absolutely adorable. The art was well done with each page being a complete, well put together picture in what appears to be acrylic paint. The story centers around a young milk cow who dreams of being on the open ocean. Once she is grown she leaves home and joins a feline fishing boat, eventually she finds herself on a Bull pirate ship. She falls in love and puts her seafaring days behind her to settle down and have a little calf of her own. This book is great for encouraging children to follow their dreams. It teaches them that no matter what you are, you can become anything that you want to. The art, the story, and the overall feel and tone of the book was perfect for young readers.
November 19, 2016
This picture book is written as a narrative poem. It tells the adventures of a cow who travels the sea and becomes a pirate. Wheeler uses language that has great pace and rhythm as the reader is pulled into this fantastic story of Sailor Moo who leaves the fields for the sea. An example of the verse: “Moo watched the field of waving wheat,/ and wished for ocean swells./ She sniffed the freshness of the grass, but wished for ocean smells.” The fine quality of the words never falters throughout this outrageously fun adventure story. The illustrations are clear and detailed with bright hues. School-age readers will enjoy the verses.
October 24, 2012
I loved the illustrations and creativity of this book. I was enchanted by the fisherman cats, herd of pirate bulls and the bovine wedding. Animal lovers young and old will appreciate this book about a calf who is born on a fantasy farm pasture, but longs for the high seas.
It should be noted that the depiction of a dairy farm in this book is just as imaginary as the idea of a ship manned entirely by cats. The story and illustrations show calves nursing and spending all of their time with their mothers. On a real working dairy farm, this is not going to happen, as calves are removed from the cows shortly after birth.
It should be noted that the depiction of a dairy farm in this book is just as imaginary as the idea of a ship manned entirely by cats. The story and illustrations show calves nursing and spending all of their time with their mothers. On a real working dairy farm, this is not going to happen, as calves are removed from the cows shortly after birth.
November 13, 2013
This is a wild tale of a typical cow who dreams to be at sea instead of on a farm. One day she leaves, finds a boat full of cats, and asks if she can join their crew if she makes milk for them. They let her join until one day a storm pushes the boat all around. Sailor Moo is rocketed from the boat and thrown in the water. She swims a ways and comes up to another boat full of cows. They take her on board and she later finds out they are pirates, but she has feelings for the head bull pirate. This is an upbeat story that has rhymes throughout the entire book and would be great for younger children.
June 24, 2010
This is a great book to go with the summer theme. And the rhyming keeps the story going while the cow humor is fabulous. I think a preschool group would be all right, but I know they would miss quite a bit of the jokes. And who knows how they would handle the "love story" part of the book. I think I'll try it on the K-5 group and see how well they do.
6/24/10 Not bad. They were attentive. They loved the ending. Not much laughter on any of the rest of the book. But it was the very first book I chose, after a hassle of paper hat making, so....
6/24/10 Not bad. They were attentive. They loved the ending. Not much laughter on any of the rest of the book. But it was the very first book I chose, after a hassle of paper hat making, so....
August 3, 2014
Gorgeously detailed and expressive illustrations paired with a rollicking, rhyming narrative make this book a delight to read aloud. It's a silly, entertaining story of striking out into the world for adventure on the high seas.
With a repetitive refrain of "Yo-ho-ho, And a shiver-me-be, ...", children are sure to delight at the antics of the cow at sea. We really enjoyed reading this book together.
With a repetitive refrain of "Yo-ho-ho, And a shiver-me-be, ...", children are sure to delight at the antics of the cow at sea. We really enjoyed reading this book together.
February 24, 2016
This is a story about a diary cow who went on an adventure, boarded a pirate cat ship, rescued from sea by a shady group of bovines, and winds up in a romantic ending. There are several great things about this book, a fast-paced adventure plot, detailed and cute illustrations, rhyming songs and text, and humorous cultural references. To younger kids, the pirates and outlaws parts might be harder to explain; otherwise, it is an enjoyable book.
September 22, 2009
i love all of the positions and poses of the cows in this; cute and hilarious. The wardrobes are stylin'with a variety of unexpected outfits that you would never imagine seeing on a moo moo. In addition, the juxtaposes with the pirate cat is quite amusing.
"Yo~ho~ho
And a shiver~me~be
Moo finds romance out of sea!
"Yo~ho~ho
And a shiver~me~be
Moo finds romance out of sea!
June 23, 2010
Sailor Moo Cow at Sea is a humorous tale about a cow who longs for adventure... and finds it on a aship captained by a silver feline. But when she gets thrown overboard, her plans change unexpectedly. A new life awaits!
Used for "Magical Mermaids and other Sea Creatures" Storytime-July, 2010.
Used for "Magical Mermaids and other Sea Creatures" Storytime-July, 2010.
December 5, 2012
I loved this book! The pirate language in this was just adorable. It is a good book to use as a read aloud, or to read before asking kids to write a creative story. The illustrations are fantastic and it is just all around a great book.
October 8, 2013
The story line of this book is excellent and well developed.
I like the rhyme and the rhythm of the text. There is one stanza of a song on each page.
This would make a great "story time" book.
I LOVED it!!!
I like the rhyme and the rhythm of the text. There is one stanza of a song on each page.
This would make a great "story time" book.
I LOVED it!!!
March 1, 2016
A rather corny rhyme about a cow going to sea, getting tossed overboard, rescued by manatees, fall in league with some pirates, reforming and then marrying their captain, blah blah blah. I found this story somewhat stupid.
Nice illustrations though.
Nice illustrations though.
April 30, 2008
She uses interesting rhyming techniques in this book, but I love the cow puns.
May 13, 2008
This is a book enjoyed by parent and kid and perhaps more of the laughs come from the parent. Lisa is so clever with words and extremely punny.
July 3, 2008
What a fun book to read aloud!
July 5, 2008
Any book that involves "feline fishing boats" and ends with two cows getting married gets my 4 star rating!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews