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The Little Cow and the Turtle
The adventures of a friendly little cow who loves life and brings delight to her farmers, the animals of the meadow & woods, hoboes, children, and even a big old snapping turtle.
- GenresFiction
173 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1955
46 people want to read
About the author
Meindert De Jong
46 books82 followersMeindert De Jong was an award-winning author of children's books. He was born in the village of Wierum, of the province of Friesland, in the Netherlands.
De Jong immigrated to the United States with his family in 1914. He attended Dutch Calvinist secondary schools and Calvin College, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and entered the University of Chicago, but left without graduating.
He held various jobs during the Great Depression, and it was at the suggestion of a local librarian that he began writing children's books. His first book The Big Goose and the Little White Duck was published in 1938.
He wrote several more books before joining the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II, serving in China. After the war he resumed writing, and for several years resided in Mexico. He returned for a time to Michigan. After settling in North Carolina, he returned to Michigan for the final years of his life.
De Jong immigrated to the United States with his family in 1914. He attended Dutch Calvinist secondary schools and Calvin College, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and entered the University of Chicago, but left without graduating.
He held various jobs during the Great Depression, and it was at the suggestion of a local librarian that he began writing children's books. His first book The Big Goose and the Little White Duck was published in 1938.
He wrote several more books before joining the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II, serving in China. After the war he resumed writing, and for several years resided in Mexico. He returned for a time to Michigan. After settling in North Carolina, he returned to Michigan for the final years of his life.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 15, 2020
What a lovely book!
April 1, 2012
On the surface, this is a book about an improbably curious cow. On a deeper level, it's about wonder, and joy, and curiosity, and not ever being too old to feel those things.
This book is curiously dated in multiple ways. It has hobos, who will be an item of "Huh?" for many readers. And all the girls in the book (and to a lesser extent the lone adult woman, the farmer's wife) are (to a modern reader) irritatingly timid. But if you can get past that, it's a lovely book. Maybe even a four star one.
The art by Maurice Sendak is nothing like the Where the Wild Things Are. It's more like monochromatic watercolors. But some of it is lovely — particularly one illustration of the cow, the farmer's wife, and some children.
This book is curiously dated in multiple ways. It has hobos, who will be an item of "Huh?" for many readers. And all the girls in the book (and to a lesser extent the lone adult woman, the farmer's wife) are (to a modern reader) irritatingly timid. But if you can get past that, it's a lovely book. Maybe even a four star one.
The art by Maurice Sendak is nothing like the Where the Wild Things Are. It's more like monochromatic watercolors. But some of it is lovely — particularly one illustration of the cow, the farmer's wife, and some children.
May 23, 2023
Dunno where my review of first read is, and I'm only half done now, but in case I don't get a chance to review when I finish, here's what I'm thinking about:
Typical DeJong in that he has such insight into animals as themselves, and children same. Atypical in that it seems for a younger audience and doesn't have any apparent message or profound Truths. And yet it is clever beyond just funny, and has a lot of insights readers of any age can appreciate.
I don't know how many children would actually like it. I don't know if I would have when young. I do know that the more that I read by this author, the more I am a fan.
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Reread again after irl stuff happened, as a comfort read. Still wonderful. And I still don't have the words. Won't part with yet. Will continue to look for more by author. Well, and do note the illustrator is Maurice Sendak, in a different medium with a different style than Where the Wild Things Are etc., but still clearly his own.
Typical DeJong in that he has such insight into animals as themselves, and children same. Atypical in that it seems for a younger audience and doesn't have any apparent message or profound Truths. And yet it is clever beyond just funny, and has a lot of insights readers of any age can appreciate.
I don't know how many children would actually like it. I don't know if I would have when young. I do know that the more that I read by this author, the more I am a fan.
---
Reread again after irl stuff happened, as a comfort read. Still wonderful. And I still don't have the words. Won't part with yet. Will continue to look for more by author. Well, and do note the illustrator is Maurice Sendak, in a different medium with a different style than Where the Wild Things Are etc., but still clearly his own.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews