Moonstruck: The True Story of the Cow Who Jumped Over the Moon - Hardcover

Choldenko's first book gives the lowdown on the cow who was heralded in the headlines of her time--e.g.,``Flying Bovine'' and ``Cow Shaped UFO Reported.'' The whole story of the famous flight comes straight from the horse's mouth--that is, the horse who coached her. He thinks the cow got the shaft in Mother Goose's record: ``One lousy line--not even a whole poem,'' says he, before telling it like it was: The cow kept hanging around the equine moon-jumping hopefuls, wormed her way in and started using their equipment, showed up for every practice, and kept her sights fixed firmly on the moon. She made the team--her name, Miss Cow, posted on the shortlist with the likes of Loco Motive and Trotting Travis. This very funny story sends up TV sports profiles; the horse's tough, gravelly voice puts a fine spin on this bovine interest piece as he focuses on the impossible odds, lofty dreams, and fierce dedication of the upstart athlete, finishing with a spirited play-by-play of the legendary jump. Yalowitz's colored pencil illustrations take the story and fly with it. Full of humorous details (the headlines, the lonely competitor awaiting practice time, the cow's crescent moon tattoo), the scenes capture the mood perfectly, especially the close-up of the cow blasting off and the aerial view with Earth far below. (Picture book. 4-8) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Kindergarten-Grade 2. A very funny version of how and why the cow jumped over the moon is told, in retrospect, by an old brown horse who admires her feat and thinks that Mother Goose should have given her more air time. Previous to the cow's attempt, only horses jumped the moon after a rigorous period of training. When the bovine expresses her longing to soar over the moon herself, the horses doubt her ability but agree to give her a chance. She works hard to get in shape and succeeds, joyfully. The narrative has an informal, conversational cadence and hilarious wording. The large, soft-toned, colored-pencil illustrations in a flat primitive style have plenty of humorous touches. They show a cat with a fiddle, the little dog, the amorous dish and spoon, and barnyard animals leaping and prancing about as they encourage the cow and her horse friends as they work out in preparation for their moon shots. Pair this one with Chris Babcock's No Moon, No Milk! (Crown, 1993).?Patricia Pearl Dole, formerly at First Presbyterian School, Martinsville, VA
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.