Moo, Moo, Brown Cow, Have You Any Milk? by Phillis Gershator- OPTIONAL

Gershator, Phillis.  Potter, Giselle.  Moo, Moo, Brown Cow, Have You Any Milk? 40 pgs.  Random House Books for Young Readers, 2011.  $16.99.  Inside cover: “Moo, moo, brown cow! Have you any milk? "Yes, sir, yes, sir," smooth as silk. Does milk make me sleepy before I go to bed?" Yes, sir, yes, sir," the brown cow said.”  There’s something different going on with this well-loved nursery rhyme.  Besides offering clever twists and charming new critters, this sweet retelling of “Baa Baa Black Sheep” gently teaches young listeners something along the way as a plucky little boy asks his farm friends about the gifts they give us.”  This book is a great idea- who doesn’t love the nursery rhyme Baa Baa Black Sheep?  But the author struggles at times with the rhyme and meter of the verses.  Instead of flowing like the original song, I struggle to get the rhythm right because of poor use of words or too many words.  i.e.  “Cluck, cluck, red hen, have you any eggs for me.  Yes, sir, yes, sir, one two three”. When singing the song to my kids in the original tune, that page doesn’t work. I suppose over time, you would know to hurry up the verses and make them work, but I think it should simply flow naturally.  I also thought the boy could have been drawn with a little happier expression?  Again, I loved the idea, just not the execution of this book.  Pre-K.  EL (K-3).  OPTIONAL.  Reviewer: SL.