Comedy Times Two #3

On one thing most scientists can agree, the strength of laughter to elevate our well-being.  Laughter pushes everything else aside for those moments you are laughing.  If you are not alone in your laughter, it lasts a lot longer.  If you have the giggles, a simple look, sound, or body movement can ignite another bout of guffaws shared by those gathered.

As soon as you read certain books (in between bursts of laughter), you know you are holding hilarity gold in your hands.  Today, two book releases fit this description.  Both have imbedded facts, making them fun and funnier.  On February 26, 2019 readers were able to enjoy a generous serving of humor reading The Very Impatient Caterpillar (Scholastic Press) written and illustrated by Ross Burach.  The outspoken, exuberant caterpillar is back after having the patience to make it through metamorphosis. In The Little Butterfly That Could (Scholastic Press, April 6, 2021), our butterfly friend finds the thought of migration a tad bit terrifying. 

 

HEY! Have you seen

a group of migrating

butterflies?

They went that way.

Excited the group is close, the butterfly is shocked to discover they are 200 miles away.  When asking the whale how to travel 200 miles, the whale says flight is the only solution.  In a fit of drama, the butterfly believes this is impossible.

In the ensuing interlude, the butterfly recounts how much simpler life was as a caterpillar, and then as a chrysalis who patiently (HA!) waited to become a flower-seeking butterfly.  It seems a fog descended, and the butterfly lost his migrating flutter friends.  With calm, the whale counters every possible thing the butterfly believes will hinder its success.  It is okay to be afraid.

When the whale says he gets butterflies in his stomach, in reference to possible obstacles, the butterfly wants to hide there.  Certainly, inside a whale's stomach is preferable to flying 200 miles!  Finally, the butterfly starts flying.  It is more of a struggle than true flying.  He moves two feet!  For this butterfly there is no light at the end of the tunnel, but the whale keeps offering encouragement.  You must believe.

Voicing mantras of inspiration, the butterfly, fortified with confidence, begins at last.  First, he makes 25 miles.  Then he makes 50 miles.  At every point closer to the 200 miles, the butterfly pushes forward with words and an affirmative mindset.  Does the spunky insect reach its pals only to discover there is yet another challenge in the offing?  Read on, readers.  Don't give up.

Told entirely in dialogue, this book is a study in humor, contrast, and education.  Ross Burach manages to make us laugh as the butterfly's frantic fear is countered by the whale's calm composure.  The over-the-top outbursts by the butterfly engage us in every moment.  We all understand this feeling.  This is why we laugh.  It is pure genius how facts about butterfly migration become a part of the butterfly's explosions of speech.  Here is a passage.

WAIT!

Can't I just live in your

stomach FOREVER?

No.

How about

a one-year lease?

No!

You have

to keep

trying.

(My copy is on its way, so this post is being completed using an F & G.)

On the front of the dust jacket, in bright bold colors, matching a bright bold personality, the wide-eyed, little butterfly is jittery with worry.  Here over an ocean, what's a butterfly to do?  On the back, the butterfly is offering no-nonsense words to readers about the value in reading the first book, The Very Impatient Caterpillar.  It needs to be read NOW!

(I am looking forward to seeing the endpapers on the finished copy.  The opening endpapers on the first book feature a row of white caterpillars along the bottom of an orange background.  On the closing endpapers in white is the little butterfly with a couple of flutter friends.  They are hovering over some flowers on a purple canvas.)

Ross Burach's art was created with pencil, crayon, acrylic paint, and digital coloring.

Each visual is loaded with exaggerated animation.  Ross Burach alternates between two-page pictures, single-page pictures, and groups of smaller illustrations.  His shifts in perspective keep the pace moving quickly.  One minute you are looking at the vast display of the ocean across two pages with the whale and the little butterfly small in comparison.  The next minute you are inside the whale's stomach as the butterfly moves through three scenarios of setting up possible residence there.

As if there is not enough comedy to be found in the little butterfly, the whale, and other butterflies' bodies and expressions, readers need to notice the details.  When the little butterfly is sobbing, out of nowhere in the middle of an ocean, the whale is holding a box of tissues.  When the butterfly is worrying about getting lost, an upside down map is in its hands.  It is holding a pair of binoculars up to its eyes.  When the butterfly is looking inside a refrigerator inside the whale's stomach, the only thing stored inside is krill.

One of my many favorite illustrations is one of three on a single page.  It is the center visual.  The little butterfly is at mile 150.  Its wings are down in their flapping, or perhaps it is gliding.  The little butterfly is wearing a runner's head band.  It's squirting water from a bottle into its mouth.

Nothing is better than laughter except when laughter and learning are combined.  We understand the importance of a can-do attitude and butterfly migration after reading The Little Butterfly That Could written and illustrated by Ross Burach.  I know you'll want this title in both your personal and professional collections. 

To learn more about Ross Burach and his other work, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  You'll find loads of extras there.  Ross Burach has an account on Twitter.  At the publisher's website you can view some interior images.  Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries, John Schumacher reveals the cover for The Very Impatient Caterpillar and chats about The Little Butterfly That Could with the author illustrator on his site, Watch. Connect. Read.  Here is a link to the recent Book Joy Live event with Ross Burach and Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen.

When spring rolls around after more than a year of enduring a global pandemic, everyone is ready for a seasonal change at the very least.  The sound of spring peppers encourages you to join them in song.  Leaves of tulips and daffodils are pushing their way through dirt.  Soon their stems will extend, and blossoms will form.  We want to join them by shedding our winter wear for t-shirts and shorts.  Teeny, tiny buds on sprouting from shrub and tree branches.  We want to stretch out our arms and embrace this newness.  Down on the farm, most of the animals are ready for spring, too.  In Not Now, Cow (Abrams Appleseed, April 6, 2021) written by Tammi Sauer with illustrations by Troy Cummings, everyone is welcoming the season, except for one.  Cow is confused. 

SPRING

Duck is ready.

Helps things grow.

Sheep is ready.

Skips below.

Goat is ready, too.  Cow is not.  Cow is standing under a tree wearing mittens, a scarf, and a snow cap.  Rooster states this is not the time for winter wear.

When summer comes Chick, Goat, and Pig all dive into appropriate activities.  Cow stands ready to race down a snow-covered hill on a sled.  Rooster is exasperated.

Horse, Chick, and Sheep enjoy the out-of-door fun fall brings.  There is leaf-raking, apple-eating and pumpkin carving.  And Cow, well Cow, is not getting the autumn vibe at all.

Finally, winter arrives.  (I'll bet Cow can hardly wait.)  Pig, Horse, and Duck are frolicking in the snow and on the ice.  To Rooster's utter amazement, Cow's seasonal clock has tick-tocked into another hemisphere.  The final sentence (the whole book, truthfully) will invite loads of laughter.

Is this book perfect for a read aloud? Yes.  Is this book perfect for reader's theater?  Yes.  Is this book perfect for a puppet show?  Yes.  Tammi Sauer writes for readers to experience this book completely.  She establishes a cadence for each season with three animals participating in an activity followed by Cow's lack of understanding and Rooster's frustration.  She repeats phrases.  The final words in sentences rhyme.  It's pure playful perfection.  Here is a passage.

Pig is ready.

Leaves a trail.

Cow is . . .

Oh, Cow.

Not now.

How can you look at the front of the book case and not laugh out loud?  Look at Cow wearing beach gear and ready for some fun in the sun in the middle of winter!  Cow's grin and Rooster's incredulous look tell a story themselves.  On the back amid the continued snow scene is information about Tammi Sauer and Troy Cummings similar to that found on the back end flap of a dust jacket.  Beneath the text are Goat, Chick, and Sheep appropriately attired for winter.  They are looking slightly mystified at a green and yellow polka dot beach inner tube laying in the snow.

Not wasting any space, Troy Cummings uses the opening and closing endpapers to start and conclude the story.  Rooster is shouting out the news of spring's appearance prior to the verso and title pages.  There a double-page picture shows Cow ambling in from the left as Rooster races off the right side.  They are placed amid a pastoral scene on the farm.  At the end, the entire barnyard crew is staring at Cow.

These digitally created images have a rhythm to them as does the text.  Each season is given a full-page picture.  This is followed by two animals sharing one page and another one on a single page.  For the 

Cow is . . .

phrase, this stands alone in a loosely framed image.  A two-page visual closes out the season.  It depicts Cow's clueless demeanor contrasting with hilarity to Rooster's look of disbelief.  Readers will enjoy looking at all the extra elements in the clothing, facial expressions, and actions of the other animals.  Chick nibbling on and carrying an apple bigger than it is while wearing oversized work boots is a real rib-tickler.

One of my many favorite illustrations is a double-page picture.  The countryside is all aglow with colors of fall.  Standing on a pile of leaves is Cow.  Cow is wearing a purple puffer coat, bright mittens and earmuffs and ski goggles.  In one hand is a ski pole.  In the other hand is a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows.  Ski boots and skis finish the ensemble.  Rooster perched on the fence is gritting its teeth.  Its eyes are rolled, and one wing is to its forehead. 

Expect a chorus of read it again from story time listeners after reading Not Now, Cow written by Tammi Sauer with illustrations by Troy Cummings.  Between all the grins and giggles, each season is explored.  Be sure to place a copy of this title in your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Tammi Sauer and Troy Cummings and their other work, please visit their respective websites by following the link attached to their names.  Tammi Sauer has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Troy Cummings has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  Tammi Sauer penned a post at Picture Book Builders about this title.

Cow-tastic Creations

They are the original dairy queens.  More than eight thousand years ago, humans believed it was in their best interest to have them become a part of their world.  To this day, they continue to provide valuable food ingredients, especially for many people's favorite dessert or comfort food, ice cream.

Cows are beloved for their nature.  In a variety of fabricated forms, they are often children's (or collector's) favorite animal finding places on shelves or as stuffed toys to cuddle for comfort or rest.  Perhaps as characters for storytellers, they are able to linger longer in our hearts.  Two recent publications feature cows in all their bovine glory.  Mootilda's Bad Mood (Little Bee Books, September 1, 2020) written by Corey Rosen Schwartz and Kirsti Call with illustrations by Claudia Ranucci takes readers on an emotional adventure as one cow youngster wakes up cranky and gets crankier by the incident.

Mootilda woke up in a huff

with hay stuck in her hair.

"What's going on? My pillow's gone.

My doll's way over there!"

Her mother tried to calm her with a treat, but her bad luck and mood escalated.  Mootilda exploded in distress.  Her moomaw thought it would be best if she went outside to join the other cows at play.  Her lack of skill caused even more dismay.

Her friends, like her mother, suggested another remedy for her irritable attitude.  Unfortunately, her dive in the pond was more thwack than swan.  The sheep and pigs offered encouragement along with advice, but nothing worked on this cow's crabby demeanor.  

Believing she is cursed, Mootilda ranted until the chickens took up a chant.  Their day was worse.  Now Mootilda and the chickens were fretting together to the max, until Mootilda decided to use her moomaw's remedy to relax.

They were all enjoying ice cream in cones when another feathered friend made an error in judgment.  Mootilda was shocked, but then she surprised everyone, including herself.  Moody Mootilda discovered what was always there.

One thing is absolutely certain, authors Corey Rosen Schwartz and Kirsti Call must have laughed themselves silly writing this text.  It's bursting with rhyming and word play.  If a word can be shifted just a bit to include something relating to cows (or another one of the farm crew), it finds a place in their story.

Readers will appreciate the upbeat outlook of the other farm animals with the exception of the chickens.  This supplies the opportunity for contrast with Mootilda's bad mood.  Here is a passage.

"I'm in a bad MOOOD!"

"Hay hay there now, don't have a cow!

We'll get this mess remoooved.

A sooothing swim will cool you down.

Your moood will soon improoove!"

When you look at the matching and open dust jacket and book case, beginning with the front, right, you can't help but laugh.  One glance at the thunderous look on Mootilda's face and you know this cow is having a really bad day.  The swirl of darkness above her head is perfection and a great design choice for the text.  The title text is raised on the jacket.

To the left, on the back, is a similar illustration to one found in the interior of the book.  Mootilda is mooing her discontent along with the clucking cantankerous chickens.  They stand in the sandy barnyard with rolling hills, a fence, and other farm buildings in the distance.  The text reads:

"We're in a bad MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!"

On the opening and closing endpapers are six moods of Mootilda on a white background.  Each is washed in a rainbow color with connecting rainbow dotted lines.  The moods are not happy.  On the title page Mootilda is upright stomping her back hooves in frustration as she waves her arms overhead.

Each image by Claudia Ranucci accentuates the narrative alternating in size and perspective.  We might find ourselves looking at a full-page picture, several smaller visuals on a single page, or dramatic double-page illustrations.  Sometimes we are seeing a panoramic pastoral view.  Other times we are very close to the characters, especially Mootilda.  Readers will find themselves giggling or laughing out loud with every page turn when they see the expressions on the animals' faces.  Careful viewers will understand why the chickens are having a less than stellar day.

One of my many favorite illustrations is the first double-page picture.  Mootilda is declaring her state of emotion to her moomaw in the kitchen in the morning.  The force of her exclamation blows utensils and a canister off the counter.  The cookie jar is overturned, and cookies go flying.  Family portraits on the wall are now crooked.  The refrigerator and cupboards are pink.  Cow drawings hang on the fridge.  Mootilda's stuffed toy cow is on the floor, forgotten for the moment.

It's perfectly normal to be grumpy from time to time.  In Mootilda's Bad Mood written by Corey Rosen Schwartz and Kirsti Call with illustrations by Claudia Ranucci, we see how incidents sometimes happen not as desired, but our perspective can make all the difference.  I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional collections.  

To learn more about Corey Rosen Schwartz, Kirsti Call, and Claudia Ranucci, and their other work, please follow the link attached to their name to access their website or their agency's website.  It appears that Claudia Ranucci has a website in Spanish, linked here.  Corey Rosen Schwartz has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Kirsti Call has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Claudia Ranucci has an account on Instagram.  At the publisher's website you can view interior images.  There are also interior images to see at Simon & Schuster.  This book and its creators are featured on Picture Book Look.  Author Kirsti Call is highlighted at Book Q &As with Deborah Kalb, at author Vivian Kirkfield's site, and at GROG.

When cherished collaborators return, we cheer.  In a companion title to Holy Cow, I Sure Do Love You! author illustrator Tom Lichtenheld and the late Amy Krouse Rosenthal return with an ode to the affection between a parent and child.  Moo-Moo, I Love You! (Abrams Books for Young Readers, September 22, 2020) is moo-velous in every respect.  

Moo-moo, I love you.

I love you no matter your moo-d.

In all six named moods from good to bad, and sad to silly and two in-between, this child knows they are loved.  This mom loves to share things with her child, food, funny jokes, and dancing to their special music.  Best of all, this mom thinks their refrigerator door, and sides, is a 

moo-seum.

Like moms everywhere, this mom loves to see her child enjoying the company of friends as they wait for the school bus.  She notices how her child has the gift of gab, and that of being a good listener.  She continues with a statement regarding the size of her love for her child.

She compares it to being as big as a moose!  The child is astonished.  That's a lot of love.  (The moose needs to be encouraged to move.)

Mom and cow child begin a long journey because there isn't anything this mom won't do to show her love.  They might, if it is a long trip, get assistance from a farmer's hay truck.  At day's end, this mom closes with a universal sign of affection, a promise to recreate a nursery rhyme, and the best phrase in the whole, wide world.

The words in this lovable volume penned by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld place a heavy, hilarious emphasis on the word moo.  It's popcorn at the 

moo-vies.

It's 

sch-moo-zing 

with friends.

With each page turn, we anticipate another round of word play, and we are not disappointed.  The child gets in the last word as they are being carried to bed.

When you open the dust jacket you are immediately drawn to the red on the front, right.  These are the colors you see throughout the book, black and white, and splashes of red with spot color in other hues.  (The illustrations within the book are placed on heavy, matte-finished brown paper.)  The title text on the jacket is textured and varnished.  The mother and child are varnished as is the pink heart on top of their heads.

To the left, on the back, four moods of the child are shown, two on the top and two on the bottom beneath the words:

A book for those you love, no matter their moo-d.

The book case is black and white, like a close-up of the cows' bodies.  The opening and closing endpapers on brown are patterned with a splattering of tiny red hearts.  These surround the mother and child doing a variety of dance moo-ves.

Prior to the double-page picture for the title page is a full page where the book owner can place their name under

This book belongs to-moo:

The title spans both pages.  On the left, the mother's upper body and head are under the o and v in love.  The child, on the right, is placed under the y and o in you.

For every page turn, Tom Lichtenheld has a heavier black frame around two pages, as if drawn in crayon.  The illustrations within these frames were rendered

with Pentel brush pen on watercolor paper, with Photoshop color.  Digital tweakage by Kristen Cella.  

Heavy expressive lines convey every moment found in the narrative.  The facial expressions on the child in its moods are hilarious.  Tiny details add to the comedy such as the youngster holding a tiny teddy bear when their moo-d is worried.

Tom Lichtenheld adds wonderful elements to each image.  The cookie jar on top of the refrigerator is patterned like a cow's black and white body.  Every time there is a double o, they are solid black.  Careful readers will wonder about the full title of the book the mother is holding at bedtime.  

One of my many favorite illustrations is when the mother and child are dancing.  On the left side with the text is a turntable on a record stand with speakers on either side on the floor.  Sound bursts from the speakers.  On the right, the two cows, with eyes closed in contentment, have one foot up in mid-dance move with swaying arms.  The younger one is singing to the music with notes moving up and left to the top center of the left side.

Uplifting and joyful, Moo-Moo, I Love You! written by Tom Lichtenheld and the late Amy Krouse Rosenthal with art by Tom Lichtenheld is a book to read each and every day.  It is to be shared.  It is to be gifted.  No collection would be complete without the happiness of this title.

To learn more about Amy Krouse Rosenthal the link attached to her name is her original website.  For further information about her please visit The Amy Krouse Rosenthal Foundation website.  The link attached to Tom Lichtenheld's name will acquaint you with his work.  He also maintains accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  You can view interior images at the publisher's website.

An About Face

Throughout our lives, regardless of our age, it's perfectly normal to set, accomplish and shift goals.  We greet each day working to fulfill these ambitions.  And we dream dreams outside of what we see as possible, elaborate ponderings dependent on miracles.  These keep us hopeful.

During these mental, and sometimes vocal deliberations, our closest companions endeavor to help us.  They elevate our hope into the realm of maybe-this-could-be-real.  Cowie (A Paula Wiseman Book, Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers, January 7, 2020) written and illustrated by Elizabeth Rose Stanton is another charming, heartfelt title by a wise and talented woman who has given us Henny, Peddles and Bub.

This is Cowie.

Everyone called him Cowie

because Cowie loved everything about cows.

Their physical attributes and mental view of life were revered by this donkey.  More than anything else, their position in the grass, 

the green, green grass

on their side of the fence,

was cherished by Cowie.  By grazing in the grass, they avoided carrying humans and other goods on their backs.  And they definitely didn't pull any wagons.  

Cowie made up mind.  If he wanted to be a cow, he had to do cow-like things.  He tried several activities, but he still felt more like a donkey than a cow.  Then he tried to say MOO.  Yikes!  It came out backward.  No matter how many times he tried, the sound was reversed.  How does something like this happen?

His two friends, Duckie and Mousie, sensed their friend's sadness.  Their first approach was to speak their sounds in reverse, but this did not make Cowie happier.  They thought maybe something was physically wrong with Cowie.  Everything was checked from bottom to top.  He was A-okay except when he tried to moo again it came out 

OOOOOOOOM.

After a couple of ideas and more attempts, Cowie's two pals knew exactly what to do.  And they did it . . . with considerable effort.  And you, readers, will laugh and laugh and laugh.

When Elizabeth Rose Stanton brings another of her gentle, lovable creatures into our lives, we welcome them willingly.  In the persona of Cowie, we connect with the dilemma of wanting something which seems improbable.  As the reasons for his love of cows are told to us, we understand his desires.  Who among us has not wanted to emulate another, so as to be like them?  As the story progresses with a blend of narrative and conversation, we are utterly surprised and completely delighted with his two friends' resolution.  In fact, it's guaranteed you'll laugh out loud.  Here is a passage.

Out came:

OOOOOM

Everyone stopped chewing

and swishing and mooing

and looked at Cowie.

I am making too much of a donkey of myself, he thought.

I will never be a cow. 

The use of white space as an element in this book is outstanding.  As you can see on the front of the dust jacket, even though the colors of the animals are soft, the white space lifts them up, as it does with the varnished title text. (All the animals are varnished on the front, also.)  To the left, on the back, an interior image from the book has been placed.  It is the scene which accompanies the text previously noted.  All the cows are looking at Cowie with astonishment.  Cowie's back is to readers, as he faces the group of cows.  

The opening and closing endpapers are the same hue of blue as the title text on the front of the dust jacket.  (I am awaiting my hardcopy, so I am working with an F & G.)  Before the verso and title pages, Elizabeth Rose Stanton has placed a cowbell, looped with a pale blue ribbon, in the lower, right-hand corner.  This is a foreshadowing.  The image from the front of the dust jacket appears on the title page.

Rendered in pencil and watercolor, the illustrations are endearing and expressive.  Elizabeth Rose Stanton also adds labels to two of the pictures to place emphasis on Cowie's reasons for loving cows.  Her delicate lines, shading with the colors and facial expressions reveal her skill in using this medium.  Careful readers will notice the inclusion of two previous characters in one of her pictures.

The care given to details is marvelous.  When Cowie is sad, Mousie offers up a daisy and a tiny chick offers him a worm.  When Duckie and Mousie are examining Cowie for any physical problems, Elizabeth Rose Stanton's refreshing sense of humor is seen in this series of images.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is on a single page with a crisp, white background.  Cowie is seated with his red halter hanging to the ground and his red-ribboned tail trailing behind him.  Duckie is seated in front of him with a wing raised in question.  The tiny chick is standing on his tail.  Mousie is on top of Cowie's head with arms raised in triumph with a glowing lightbulb above Mousie's head.  Cowie has his eyes raised up toward Mousie. 

For readers who want a book to hug because they love the characters, one they'll want to read over and over, and one which will make them giggle, Cowie written and illustrated by Elizabeth Rose Stanton is a superb choice.  While we'll not always be who we want to be, good friends can lend a paw or wing to make even our most unlikely dreams a reality.  They'll have to add a healthy dose of silliness to the mix, too.  I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Elizabeth Rose Stanton and her other work, please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  Elizabeth Rose Stanton has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter.  Enjoy this video interview.

On The Menu

For some individuals it's an art form perfected over every second of their lives. They are literally a catalogue of seemingly infinite ideas. These beings are schemers and dreamers, daring to imagine and do.  They never stop thinking outside the box.

If you are a cow with this marvelous mindset and your best buddy is a duck, it's a guarantee the results will not be as expected.  Meeting Moo Moo and Mr. Quackers in Moo Moo & Mr. Quackers present Moo Moo in a Tutu (Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, April 25, 2017) was a reading adventure down a path filled with laughter.  The companions have returned in Moo Moo & Mr. Quackers present What's Cooking, Moo Moo? (Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, April 3, 2018).  Author illustrator Tim Miller serves readers a memorable meal with heaping helpings of humor and equal measures of friendship.

Great news, 
Mr. Quackers---I just thought
of my best idea ever!

What is it this time,
Moo Moo?

Assuring her friend this latest pursuit will mean more quality time for them together, Moo Moo grabs Mr. Quackers and heads out the door.  In a blink of an eye, the duo is standing in front of a diner with a large sign reading

MOO MOO & 
MR. QUACKERS'S
CHOW HOUSE.

To say Mr. Quackers is stunned would be an understatement.

He's even more flabbergasted when Moo Moo reveals the source of funding for this new endeavor.  Moo Moo encourages him with promises of fun times ten.  A crowd gathers outside the door as Moo Moo cuts the ribbon at the grand opening.  It's a stampede to get inside. 

As a waiter Mr. Quackers' techniques are slightly lacking.  Filling a water glass with a hose is not the usual practice.  Having a single item, the Moo Moo Special, on the menu puts a lot of pressure on Chef Moo Moo.  When the contents of this gourmet delight are disclosed, expect to burst out laughing.  When it's served to the customers you won't be able to stop your giggles and grins.

Ever the friend, Mr. Quackers steps forward to offer assistance by cooking his

top secret recipe.

When the patrons discover the signature ingredient, they can't leave the restaurant fast enough.  It's a stampede in the other direction.  With their enterprise in food services at a close, the pals pause to reflect.  In this instant Moo Moo gets another brainstorm.  How are your yodeling skills?


With the first words out of her mouth, Moo Moo sets the stage for multiple hilarious scenarios.  Told entirely in dialogue, this story penned by Tim Miller is a series of back and forth bantering between two characters with opposite expectations.  Therein lies the comedy.  Hopefully the name of Mr. Quackers'

important ingredient

will not be overlooked by readers.  (The innuendo is superb, Mr. Miller.)  Here is a portion of dialogue.

You know how you wish
we could spend more
quality time together?

Did I really say that?

Well, I figured out
the perfect way to make
your dream come true!

You mean we're 
going on a vacation? 


Using a palette similar to the first title, inside and outside their shared apartment, and infused with splashes of full color, we enter the world of this particular cow and her friend, a duck.  Cool colors, in blues and purple are complemented with shades of yellow and Moo Moo's pink.  We know by looking at the front of the dust jacket, Moo Moo is blissful about her cooking but Mr. Quackers is decidedly apprehensive.  The soft star in the background gives this story the feel of a production we are about to experience. 

To the left, on the back of the dust jacket, in a framed image hanging on the wall, Moo Moo is looking at Mr. Quackers seated on a stool in front of an easel.  Paintbrush in hand Mr. Quackers is recreating Moo Moo in her favorite pose.  The book case will elicit gasps from readers.  It is a copy of The Daily Quack.  It features, on the right, an article with quotes, about the restaurant opening.  The four entries in the Classifieds on the left are huge hints of what is to come and one makes reference to the first book.  I dare you not to laugh reading this.  

The opening and closing endpapers on the left and right are framed portraits of Mr. Quackers and Moo Moo done in two hues of blue.  Both are wearing aprons and chef hats.  Beneath the text on the title page Moo Moo at the stove flips food into the air.  It lands on Mr. Quackers' head.  The verso and dedication pages have funny illustrations of merry Moo Moo and hesitant Mr. Quackers.

Rendered using brush and ink and digital hocus-pocus the illustrations span two pages, single pages and several are grouped on a single page. These variances provide perfect comedic pacing.  Most of them are framed in a heavy black line and white space.

What Tim Miller is able to accomplish with two dots for eyes and the mouths on all the characters is fabulous.  As you turn the pages your focus first falls on Mr. Quackers and Moo Moo.  You then find yourself noticing all the little details included; the sign on the taxi cab, the items in apartment windows, the guy reading while walking his dog, the decor and table settings inside the diner, ingredient labels, and the type of business located next to the diner.

One of my many favorite images is the lower illustration on a page with two horizontal visuals.  Moo Moo and Mr. Quackers, wearing their restaurant attire, are lying flat on their backs.  Mr. Quackers' body and feet are extended into the air.  Ever the optimist Moo Moo utters

I told you this was
going to be fun.

And Mr. Quackers replies

Is that what you call it?

This comedic image is a result of the stampede to get inside the restaurant.  It clearly delineates the two personalities and their enduring relationship.


Readers sincerely enjoy seeing the return of characters we love in a companion title with a continuation of their escapades.  Moo Moo & Mr. Quackers present What's Cooking, Moo Moo? written and illustrated by Tim Miller brings much shared joy to all of us. Readers will want to read this title repeatedly plus I am willing to bet the first book will be added to the mix.  There is no better concoction than comedy and Tim Miller stirs up the best.  You'll be more than ready to include this title in your professional and personal collections.

To learn more about Tim Miller and his other work, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  Tim maintains a blog here.  At the publisher's website you can get a peek inside the book.  There is also a link to an activity guide.  The cover for this book is revealed on Watch. Connect. Read. the blog of Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries, John Schumacher.  I believe you will enjoy their conversation.  Tim is featured on KidLit TV's Ready, Set, Draw!  On May 9, 2017 Tim visits Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast to chat with author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson.  There is loads of artwork to see.  He also stops by Let's Talk Picture Books on September 19, 2017.  Tim is one of The New York Times featured artists who make live art videos.  He was showcased on January 3, 2018.

A Brave Bovine And A Buddy

Decades ago my parents joined other couples in our local community to form a square dance group.  They would gather at the nearby township hall on Saturdays to dance.  There were often family nights and special celebrations for holidays.  One of the most memorable events was one particular Halloween.

Partners were required to go in costume.  Mom was all decked out in a homemade scarecrow outfit. My dad was about average build but he was strong, working in the same factory for more than forty-one years.  To see him standing in the doorway wearing pink ballerina attire, from head to toe, is something you never forget especially when a bald man is wearing a wig.

It's the contrast between what you know to be true and what you see that creates the comedy.  Moo Moo & Mr. Quackers present Moo Moo in a Tutu (Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, April 25, 2017) written and illustrated by Tim Miller provides readers with a similar disparity and much more.  You can hardly say the title without laughing.

Mr. Quackers, I just had the best idea in the whole world!

Another one?

This cow and this duck, best buddies, share an apartment in a large city.  Readers know what Moo Moo's idea is.  It's not until after several false guesses and a big reveal that Mr. Quackers fully comprehends.  He is flabbergasted!  How can a cow become a ballerina?

When Mr. Quackers points out the lack of training on Moo Moo's part, Moo Moo is not deterred regardless of a rather large crash during practice.  Lickety split the duo head to the theater across the street.  Moo Moo is ready to perform.  Ever the faithful friend Mr. Quackers is ready to watch.

Suspense builds as Mr. Quackers strolls down the aisle and takes a seat.  Moo Moo heads backstage assuring his pal nothing will be broken.  To the shock of the three ballerinas already on stage, Moo Moo joins them.

Moo Moo's impressive dancing makes for an unforgettable performance.  Leaving the theater and then at home, Moo Moo and Mr. Quackers have an interesting conversation brimming with possibilities.  This duck is certainly unprepared for their surprising next adventure.


Told entirely in dialogue placed in speech balloons, Tim Miller spins a narrative introducing us to Moo Moo and Mr. Quackers within the first few pages.  Their personalities and relationship are more thoroughly revealed as the story continues; the one firmly grounded on terra firma while the other seeks high-flying adventures.  Humor fills their conversations and their remarks to others.  Here is a sample passage.

But you've never taken ballet lessons.

It's okay.  I'm a quick learner.

CRASH

That last move is a little trickier
than it looks, but I've almost got it.

If you say so.


There's something about a cow wearing a pink tutu and leaping across a stage which causes instant laughter.  The expression Mr. Quackers is wearing enhances the absurdity of this entire situation on the front of the dust jacket.  The theater design with the spotlight beams making a geometric pattern with Moo Moo front and center is marvelous.  To the left, on the back, an image is framed and tacked to the wall.  It's Moo Moo painting a portrait of Mr. Quackers.  It's the first of many activities they enjoy.

Upon removing the dust jacket to reveal the book case, it's guaranteed readers will gasp.  The full moon, starry sky, night scene done in purple, black, grays and pale yellow is unexpected and wonderful.  The opening and closing endpapers in two shades of yellow showcase Mr. Quackers and Moo Moo in portraits hanging on the wall.  Continuing with the theater theme on the title page, Moo Moo and Mr. Quackers are pasting the text on paper to a marquee framed in lights.  The verso and dedication pages draw our attention to other fun they share together.

Rendered in brush and ink and digital hocus pocus the pictures vary in size from two pages, to two pictures on a single page and single page images.  Miller alternates his perspective to elevate the hilarity sky high.  The mouths on Moo Moo and Mr. Quackers coupled with their body language contribute to the laughter.  Careful readers will want to pause with every page turn to notice the details; the signage and book titles.

One of my favorite of several illustrations is for the dedication page.  It's a small image on a crisp white background.  Moo Moo is holding a roll of string attached to a kite.  Soaring in the air is a blue kite with a tail of pink ribbons.  Attached to the kite with lots of string is Mr. Quackers on his back.  His arms and feet are spread apart.


Moo Moo & Mr. Quackers present Moo Moo in a Tutu written and illustrated by Tim Miller is laughter waiting to burst forth from the pages as soon as you open the jacket and case.  The contrast in their character traits and comments not only supplies us with fun but allows us to see the strength of their friendship.  Whether read silently or shared one-on-one or with a group, get ready for loads of giggles and grins.

To discover more about Tim Miller and his other work, please follow the link attached to his name to access his website.  You can view interior images at the publisher's website.  At Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries John Schumacher's blog, Watch. Connect. Read., the book trailer is premiered along with a conversation.  At YA and Kids! Book Central Tim Miller writes a guest post.  At The Children's Book Review read Inside The Studio With Tim Miller. Tim Miller talks about the process for making this book at the Nerdy Book Club.  Third grade teacher (Mr. Stands-On-Desks-And-Shouts-I-Love-Reading) Colby Sharp shares about reading this book aloud with a Best Part of My Day post. At All The Wonders, Episode #351 teacher librarian Matthew Winner chats with Tim Miller, Donna Bray and Dana Fritts about this title.