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MOO-MOO, I LOVE YOU! by Tom Lichtenheld

MOO-MOO, I LOVE YOU!

by Tom Lichtenheld & Amy Krouse Rosenthal ; illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld

Pub Date: Sept. 22nd, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4197-4706-9
Publisher: Abrams

Cowabunga! Love is surely the cow’s moo-ow!

In this brief, adorable lovefest, a black-and-white adult bovine caregiver expresses heartfelt adoration for its little one using delightful, comical plays on the word moo. Some of the puns are obvious, though they’ll be no less chuckle-inducing to young readers/listeners. Take, for instance, the words moo-d, moo-vies, moo-sic, and moo-se. (A delicious, winking nod to a very famous children’s-book title also appears near the end.) Some puns are trickier, with moo’s occurring midword—hu-moo-r; marsh-moo-llows—and/or appearing in less familiar words, such as moo-zzarella, com-moo-nicator, and sch-moo-zing. In every case, moo is depicted with the o’s filled in so it stands out in sharp relief whenever it appears. This helps youngsters identify targeted words both visually and aurally. Aside from its value as a very simply told, sweet, humorous, reassuring charmer, this book develops vocabulary creatively. After children have listened to the story, they should have an udderly grand time volunteering their own word lists that might include plays on moo and other cow-related words. Even the calf in the story gets into the act with its own moo pun at the end. Simple illustrations feature bold outlines; a basic tan, black, and white palette with touches of red; and occasional changes in lettering and font for emphasis. (This book was reviewed digitally with 9.5-by-19-inch double-page spreads viewed at 82.8% of actual size.)

A moo-ve-lous, moo-ving tribute to love for a child.

(Picture book. 3-7)