The Cow Tripped over the Moon by
Tony Wilson, illustrated by Laura Wood (Scholastic Press)
HB
RRP $24.99
ISBN
978-1-74392-353-4
Reviewed
by Jenny Heslop
Almost every child (and adult) must know
the story of the cow jumping over the moon. But I bet no-one knows how many
attempts it took to get it right. The Cow
Tripped Over the Moon is a very funny version of this famous rhyme,
featuring all the original characters –Cow, Dog, Cat & Fiddle and of
course, Dish & Spoon.
But
what they don’t say
In the
songs from that day,
Is the
cow didn’t jump it first time.
It
seems a moon clearance
Takes
great perseverance,
So back to the scene of the rhyme...
When
rhyme works well in a picture book it is a joy to read and this one is close to
perfect. There are no dodgy words, or strange sentences, nothing is sacrificed
for the rhyme. It has a rollicking rhythm which adds to the joy of reading this
story aloud and fabulous humour in both words and pictures.
Moon attempt 3: 10.12pm
Hey
diddle diddle
The
cat and the fiddle
The
cow jumped under the moon.
Her
run-up was slow,
She
was never a show,
And the fiddle was way out of tune.
The
wonderful illustrations glow under the moon’s light. They expand on so much of
the story. The gang sit on the barn roof, gazing at the moon and concocting the
whole escapade. The characters all help Cow train and the story builds to the
penultimate page which echoes the text beautifully and conveys the emotion of
the moment with a glorious picture of Cow, just before her last jump attempt.
We see the determination on her face, her eyes filling with water, cape (towel)
flowing from her shoulders, and the gang behind shouting encouragement – all
with the glow of sunrise at their backs
This
is an entertaining read, fun for toddlers, children and adults alike. And
underlying the laughs is a strong message of perseverance, teamwork and
supportive friends.
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