Cow

by Malachy Doyle

It's hard work being a cow - you graze, you chew, and you rest. This picture book tells of a day in the life of a cow, from the dawn rising and that early morning walk to the barn to be milked, through the hot summer's day, to the evening milking and dusk. Rinaldi's beautiful lifelike illustrations give a real sense of being there.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Juvenile

Paperback

First published July 1, 2002

About the author

Malachy Doyle is the author of Antonio on the Other Side of the World, Getting Smaller and many other books for children. He lives in Donegal, Ireland.

Reviews

[Melki · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is basically just a day in the life of a cow, from sunup to sundown. The words "full udders" are used a bit too often for a children's book, but I guess we're lucky this wasn't one of the days that the bull was let loose in the pasture.

The photo-realistic illustrations by Angelo Rinaldi are lovely, and give the book a quiet, peaceful feel.

[Peacegal · Rating 2 out of 5]

It would be nice if things were really the way they are portrayed in Cow. The beautifully rendered artwork depicts the fantasy life of dairy cattle on a verdant pasture that makes the “Happy Cows” commercials look downright Spartan. This children’s story makes the adult knowledge that things are not as imagined all the more painful.

There is no depiction of the calves that must be born to each cow to keep her milk flowing, no discussion of what happens to Cow’s companions once age ends their production. Perhaps a cow’s life is indeed similar to this picture-book depiction on a boutique organic farm or a Hare Krishna ashram, but the book’s jacket makes clear it is supposed to be a showcase of dairies in general:

Chewing your cud from dawn to dusk. Your long tail swishing from side to side. Resting in the shade of a tree by the river. Being milked in the cool milking parlor. Sleeping under the stars. What is it like to be a dairy cow? Let’s find out...

And that’s just something I can’t get behind—the outright lying. Children’s books such as Cow depict farm animals living in environments that are conducive to their happiness, health, and welfare. When youngsters grow up and learn that things are not as they should be, perhaps it will inspire them to want to make changes in the food industry.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written in 2nd person point of view, YOU are the cow. This story follows a day in your life as a milking cow on a British farm. Interesting facts and unbelievably beautiful illustrations. I bought this from its cover alone.

[Casandria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gorgeously illustrated tale of a day in a cow's life.

[BiblioBeruthiel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I find the second person perspective of this to be infinitely disturbing. There is no way I am reading to a bunch of preschoolers about their teets.

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations!

[Eleanor W · Rating 4 out of 5]

While not the most exciting book on the planet, reading this book you knew it was written by someone who grew up in the country. I grew up loving cows so I grabbed this book based on the cover to read to my five year old. My five year old didn't love this book as much as I did. I loved this because you can see the cow in the words alone it was beautifully written and the photos are enjoyable as well.

It does have the words teat and udder in it, so that might need explained to your little one if they have never been exposed to a milk parlor before.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sumptuously illustrated book describing the idyll of what a dairy cow's life should be. A mixed farm with pigs and chickens, a couple of kids, and a cool stream where the cow drinks cooling draughts in bucolic ecstasy. How we'd all like to think dairy cows live, but not I suspect, how they do. Still good for city kids to learn where milk comes from.

[L. Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was surprised. I thought my kids would be bored by this combination of lush paintings with rich, transcendent light and poetry. But they were lulled. The whole book is like the experience of getting lost in an animal's long-lashed gaze, and feeling special for having been seen.

[Keris · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading Just Ducks, Joe requested more books about animals so we grabbed this one when we saw it in the library. And it's gorgeous. Beautiful - really beautiful - illustrations and wonderful text - informative and straightforward, but also somehow dream-like. We both loved this one.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

A different perspective to life on the farm and how the cow has adopted the routing of the farmyard and the farmer. Really vivid colours and images bring the story to life. Interesting when the child splashes in the river, almost as though he is interrupting and disturbing the cow's day.

[Alfajirikali · Rating 5 out of 5]

We all enjoyed this one(Chubbula, too). The illustrations are beautiful. I enjoyed the story being told from the perspective of the cow without being overly anthropomophoric.

[Samantha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gorgeous pictures but not very interesting.

[Ubalstecha]

Beautiful paintings illustrate this gentle story of a day in the life of a cow.

[Libbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a nice little read with my 2 and 4 year old before bed. The pictures were wonderful.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

a really beautiful book about, of all creatures, cows. and when the cow starts talking about teats WOW better than fifty shades of grey

[Whitney Zollman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book with great illustrations. It talks about the life of a dairy cow, and what it's like living on a farm.

[Bree · Rating 3 out of 5]

Notes:
life for a cow on a picturesque small-scale organic farm -- just like where we get our milk

[Mara Meyer · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not one of my favorite books. The illustrations were well done. However the over all story did not grab my students attention.

[Audra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely beautiful pictures!

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sure is hard work being a cow. I loved the illustrations as the author shares with us a day in the life of a cow.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not going to deny it; my favorite part of this book was its illustrations. The text is simple, and the illustrations are startlingly realistic and beautiful. I loved it for that.

[#KindnessTrioLibrary Librarian]

Donations to the #KindnessTrioLibrary 2019

BookCrossing.com BCID: 492-15567555

http://bookcrossing.com/journal/15567...