Boo Cow

by Patricia Baehr, Margot Apple (Illustrator)

Overview

Mr. and Mrs. Noodleman don't know what to do. They've left city life behind and moved to the country with hopes of being farmers. But their dreams turn grim when nightly visits from Boo Cow scare the Noodlemans' hens so much, they won't lay any eggs! These first-time farmers are at a loss. Why is Boo Cow haunting them, and how can they banish this ghostly bovine visitor? Baehr's fun and accessible text make this book a great read-aloud. With unexpected twists and turns, BOO COW keeps readers guessing as they attempt to solve the mystery on the Noodlemans' farm.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781580892995
Publisher:	Charlesbridge
Publication date:	07/01/2012
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.80(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.10(d)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Patricia Baehr is the author of eleven books for children, including MOUSE IN THE HOUSE (Holiday House) and SCHOOL ISN'T FAIR! (Simon & Schuster). She lives in Bayville, New York.

Read an Excerpt

Mr. Noodleman walked down the road to ask Farmer Hackett’s advice. Farmer Hackett’s eyes widened. “It’s not you,” he said. “It’s the ghost! Every night at the stroke of twelve, Boo Cow haunts your farm! The chickens must be too scared to lay eggs!”
Was it true? Could the farm be haunted?

(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "Boo Cow"
by .
Copyright © 2012 Patricia Baehr.
Excerpted by permission of Charlesbridge.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Editorial Reviews

First-time farmers Mr. and Mrs. Noodleman are thrilled with the purchase of 552 brand new chickens. "By tomorrow... we'll be up to our eyeballs in eggs!" Mr. Noodleman exclaims. To their dismay, the barn is visited each night by Boo Cow, a bovine ghost whose "soft but unmistakable moo" is so terrifying that the chickens cannot lay a single egg. The Noodlemans devise all sorts of schemes to solve their haunting problem, including a consultation with a psychic, a pink fluffy nightgown for each chicken, and even a confrontation with Boo Cow herself ("Stop it, Boo Cow!... Your ugly mug has frightened its last chicken! Scram! Hit the road! And don't come back!") But is Boo Cow really the cause of the commotion? The Noodlemans' determination to have eggs for breakfast, no matter what, is tempered by the book's overarching messages of protection and forgiveness. A mix of mystery and hilarity, Baehr's (Mouse in the House) story is made far from frightening by Apple's (Little Goose) soft pencil illustrations, as well as an ending that will leave children assured of Boo Cow's gentle nature. Ages 4-7. (July)

Publishers Weekly

Gr 2—Mr. and Mrs. Noodleman purchase 552 hens with the idea of selling eggs, but the chickens don't lay any. A neighbor tells Mr. Noodleman that a ghostly cow is haunting the coop and frightening the hens. That night, the Noodlemans hear stomping and clanging noises coming from the henhouse. It's Boo Cow! After several similar nights, Mrs. Noodleman takes four chickens into the house and settles them on the foot of the bed, hoping for enough eggs for breakfast. That night Boo Cow enters the bedroom and frightens everyone. Mrs. Noodleman shoos her away, and the four chickens produce some eggs. Still no eggs appear in the henhouse. Finally, the farmers move their own bed out to the coop, where they discover the real thief. The lead and pastel pencil illustrations are soft and dreamy, and perfect for a ghost story. All of the faces, human, chicken, and ghost, are expressive. However, there are too many unanswered questions, such as why the ghost cow is there, leaving parents with a lot of explaining to do.—Ieva Bates, Ann Arbor District Library, MI

School Library Journal