MICK'S MOO

A brown calf finds his voice in DeRonde’s picture book.

Mick doesn’t fit in with the other cattle. He runs fast, eats quickly, and whenever he tries to moo, a different sound comes out, such as “quack” or “hee-haw.” He tries to organize games and even sets up a comedy club where he tells jokes, but the cows remain unimpressed, and Mick feels lonely. One night, he sees a fox carrying Penny, a chicken, in his mouth; terrified, Mick tries to moo but howls like a wolf instead. The sound scares the fox, who drops Penny and flees. All the farm animals, including the cattle, celebrate Mick’s bravery, and he feels needed and appreciated. He realizes “the things he thought made him stand out, now made him fit in.” In a pleasant farmland setting, DeRonde emphasizes self-acceptance and the importance of honoring others’ differences. Debut illustrator Chystikov’s full-color, cartoonlike illustrations are straightforward but playful, as when speech bubbles appear when Mick tells a joke or another animal speaks. Some images span entire pages to show details of farm life; others feature close-ups, such as one of Mick that accentuates his grin with bright yellow shine-lines. Very young readers will love spotting recognizable animals, including sheep, pigs, a cat, and others.

A quirky and spirited farm tale.