Amazing Cows: Udder Absurdity for Children

by Sandra Boynton

Cow stories, cow poems, cow jokes, cow games and a few chickens.
From Sandra Boynton—as it could only come from Boynton—an inventive exuberant jumble of a book for the young reader. Amazing Cows is a picture book, a storybook, a book of fun and games—it’s all those things in one. Plus it even includes a startling recording of Maurice Ravel’s “Bolero Completely Unraveled for Orchestra and Kazoos” performed by Sandra Boynton & The Highly Irritating Orchestra, for download. (Running time is 17:14, but seems MUCH longer.)

A work of pure obsession, Amazing Cows celebrates cows and offbeat cowness with a miscellany of cow stories, cow poems, cow jokes, and other bovine ephemera. Along the way, expect lively guest appearances by ducks, pigs, and excessive numbers of chickens. There’s a "It Had to Be Moo." A "Find the Hidden Cows." Famous Barnyard Composers (surely you’ve heard of Wolfgang Amadeus Moozart and Johann Sebastian Bockbockbock). Knock-knock jokes, a cow myth, and an Amazing Cow comic-book "Trouble on Zebblor 7." Cow fashion. Cow Limericks. How to Speak Cow. Plus so much mooer.

Amazing Cows is full-color, 96 pages long, and packed with the kind of silly fun that young readers adore, especially when they can read it to themselves—and then read it to their parents, and then to their little brothers, and then to the family dog. Or the family cow.

Genres: Humor, Childrens, Picture Books, Fiction, Animals, Juvenile, Graphic Novels

96 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2010

About the author

Sandra Keith Boynton is an American humorist, songwriter, director, music producer, children's author, and illustrator. Boynton has written and illustrated over eighty-five books for children and seven general audience books, as well as over four thousand greeting cards, and seven music albums. She has also designed calendars, wallpaper, bedding, stationery, paper goods, clothing, jewelry, and plush toys for various companies.

Reviews

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first fell in love with cows a few years ago when I read a news article about how Fidel Castro once suggested supplying miniature cows to Cuban families, which could provide them with daily milk and graze their grass for them.

Once I read that, I was enchanted. I liked cows well enough. But miniature cows? There is such a thing?





Oh my gosh, so freakin' cute!! And thus, I fell in love with cows of all sizes. It was only cemented when I visited a local family-operated farm and met Buster, who is also freakin' adorable.



No, no, really, I mean, adorable...



As you can imagine, I snapped this book right up. Somebody failed in not getting this for me for Christmas. It is all about cows and how amazing they are, and it illustrates this with terrible knock-knock jokes, two short stories, an old-fashioned superhero comic and a cow myth. Not only are there cows, there are chickens and a very strange goat who sings about static electricity.

It's wonderful.

[Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cows! Unexplained chickens! And a very confused duck! This was a wonderful book! 🤣

[Elizabeth S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cows, cows, cows. I think I'll die laughing. I'm trying to pick my favorite things in this book, but they are all so funny. (Perhaps the Hol-Steinway piano? The Adventures of Amazing Cow? The really-loud chicken and the confusing duck? Or was it a really-loud duck and a confusing chicken?)

Yes, some are funny/dumb, but in a great way. Because it is *meant* to be funny/dumb. And some is funny/clever. And lots is funny/silly. Overall, just pure, unadulterated, wonderful Boynton. A++++.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy that the author comes right out and says this book is misinformation. I like the little details in the illustrations. I'm so glad the interrupting cow joke was included, that's a classic. This book is hilarious.

[Patty · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's cute, but not as clever or witty as I would have liked to see. I was hoping for more facts on cows or better stories, the illustrations were great though.

[Cooper Esten · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked all the funny knock knock jokes. over all I will give it a 4.75.

[Liz Hoffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't add every book I read to my kids, but this one is a treat for Boynton fans! This was a fun mix of poems, stories, and humor!

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of fun humor.
"The stunning and timeless Reluctant Chicken Toupee"

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 3 out of 5]

As much (or more) for adults as for kids. Loads of pun-ny word play, wacky visuals and mental twists, with potential for middle-grade-teen mentoring on stringing humor/concepts into a book.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zany fun! The perfect mental break from anything, anytime. Take a va-cow-tion today!

[Oxalis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute and ridiculous.

[Jocelyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not just for kids. This is a great light read.

[S46354595 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now THIS is my kind of book. I have to take this one home to mom. Cause it’s cows.

[Lee Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Almost too silly to read in one sitting. Almost.....

[Potassium · Rating 5 out of 5]

This made me laugh. A lot.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a series of nonsensical, silly cow jokes and illustrations for short attention span kids. The jokes are actually funny. The pace is really fast--as soon as you get one joke, another is on the next page, and the topic is new. Very engaging visuals. Irreverent.

"Much has been written about why cows are so widely admired. Or maybe nothing at all has been written about that. We forgot to check."

A work of pure obsession, Amazing Cows celebrates cows and offbeat cowness with a miscellany of cow stories, cow poems, cow jokes, and other bovine ephemera. Along the way, expect lively guest appearances by ducks, pigs, and excessive numbers of chickens.

There’s a song: "It Had to Be Moo." A game: "Find the Hidden Cows." Famous Barnyard Composers (surely you’ve heard of Wolfgang Amadeus Moozart and Johann Sebastian Bockbockbock). Knock-knock jokes, a cow myth, and an Amazing Cow comic-book adventure: "Trouble on Zebblor 7." Cow fashion. Cow Limericks. How to Speak Cow. Plus so much mooer.

"The four stages of metamoophosis. 1) Egg. 2) Cattlepillar 3) Cowcoon 4) Udderfly.

[Erin Reilly-Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was both fun and funny, although I would certainly recommend it as a read aloud, perhaps with interactive participants, at least for the knock knock jokes. I particularly enjoyed the subject, being a personal fan of cows, although I do need to point out that several other animals are also featured including chickens, ducks, and pigs, none of which I am adverse to. The variety of material included was very appealing and would be great for a variety of audiences, especially as it could be used whole or in part. This variety also creates a unique sense of pacing with action and then relief from a different type of excitement that offsets some of the business of the book. While I really enjoy Boynton's style and the consistency of the animal illustrations used through the book, the design is is a little bit unintelligible and the colors are a little bit all over the place The illustrations have a great sense of comedy in the loose lines and cartoon style with exaggerated shapes. Overall, it's fun and who can refuse fun?

[Amber DiTullio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sandra Boynton is my hero. She has the most amazing, most fantastically funny mind of any kids author out there. I was first introduced to her by a friend of mine who had her Philadelphia Chickens CD. And that's when I was hooked. I've loved every board book and every CD that I've been able to find by her. So when I saw that she had a new one out called Amazing Cows!: Udder Absurdity, I knew I had to borrow it from the library. And I don't regret it in the least. There's a little something for every fan of cow-related humor - knock knock jokes, short stories, fashion tips and, my favorite, a comic. Being the sci-fi fan of old as I am, the title also amused me greatly, being a spoof of Amazing Stories.

[Mo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. It's udderly amazing!

[Slayermel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is basically a collection of pure cow nonsense. Some of it was very cute and some of it was just so ridiculous that it felt like it was put in just to add another page to the book. I work with kindergarten age children and I can quite honestly say that I think a lot of this stuff would go right over my five year olds heads. They would understand the “Red Rover” story, some of the knock knock jokes, but things like the Album covers would mean nothing to them.
I’m not even going to waste my time taking it to work with me.

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome cow content to impress any bovine lover, and nary a hamburger joke in sight—and very few about milk. The author recognizes that cows are more than the sum of their (body) parts—thank goodness—and hopefully readers will too after closing this book.

The jokes often work on two levels—there’s enough silliness for the tiniest tots, yet plenty of more sophisticated references for the adults. Bravo!

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I totally get Boynton's sense of humor, although there's some pretty seriously funny stuff in this book! You have to appreciate the benefits of being confident in your knowledge about cows to be able to "make stuff up". I'm convinced that most of this is true...in 'Boynton-land'. Read this book and you'll never be afraid of cows again...unless you aren't...but some people are...but you eat ice cream right? Are you afraid of chickens, too?

[Blair Conrad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic! Tonnes of hilarity on nearly every page. If I had to pick something to complain, about, it'd be that the "Red Rover" game's ending was a tad predictable. And there could've been a few more hippos. Seriously though, this is great book, with amusing bits for children of all ages. Do yourself a favour and pick it up.

[Cricket Muse · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a cow afficiando and a Boynton, Amazing Cows is a big hit. It says its for children, but honestly, I don't think kidlets are truly going to get all of the deliciously silly humor Boynton so effortlessly provides. Her illustrations are winsome and the writing is almost so. Someone does need to pass on to Boynton that cows are "she" not "he" otherwise she would be accused of promoting bull.

[Lorna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of a hit-and-miss collection -- LOL funny parts and some just so-so, but I can't resist Sandra Boynton. And of course, now I have Cows from Philadelphia Chickens running through my head!

[Kiirsi Hellewell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is TERRIFIC!! So very hilarious and clever, and terrific illustrations, as always from Sandra B. My kids (ages 8, 10, and 12) sat enthralled while I read the whole thing out loud to them. The "Red Rover" story is one of the funniest stories ever written.

[Victoria Whipple · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an amoosing offering by Boynton. This is a silly book full of cow jokes, stories, poems and puns--not to mention the loud chicken and confusing duck. Read this out loud, read it alone, but read it to laugh and have fun!

[Beth Given · Rating 4 out of 5]

The boys, who grew up on Boynton, thought this book was hilarious, especially Red Rover (I liked that one, too -- all the names! Reminds me of Fifteen Animals). Good, silly stuff here for graduates of board books.

[Jeanette Cleveland · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was exactly what the doctor ordered. The four year and I laughed. I am pretty sure I laughed harder at some of the humor. As always expected from a Boynton lots of fun, humor, colorful pages and just plain silliness.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

So silly and fun! A collection of cow jokes, stories, comics... you name it. And random chickens. Ha. This is a unique book... does Sandra Boynton have others like this one? If not, she should. Maybe a chicken book this time. (With random cows...)