HUNTING THE WHITE COW

A winning tale that begs to be shared aloud: a country-style tall-tale about the fruitless forays of the narrator's daddy— with various helpers in ``their old, brown, crusty cow-pie boots''—to catch a peculiarly elusive cow. Each time they come back, the cow's alleged virtues mount: ```That cow is one tough dude.' `And smart,'...`She always had a pretty calf...' `And the sweetest milk you ever tasted' ''; and each time, Mama flatly punctures the claim: `' `That cow's never been milked in her life.' '' Finally, the narrator spies the cow, ropes her, but finds her immovable. When she falls asleep, Bossy again escapes. Halperin provides lovely, delicate, carefully detailed drawings, lightly touched with color and a wry, understated humor. They make a rather odd match with the laconic, earthy story, but it's a marriage of unlikes that might wear very well. (Picture book. 4-9)