George Washington's Cows - Hardcover

Small, David

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0374325359 ISBN 13: 9780374325350

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), 1994

Synopsis

"George Washington's cows were kept upstairs,
And given their own special room.
They never were seen by light of day.
No matter for what or by whom."

These cows are just the beginning of George's problems. To be sure, his hogs are helpful around the house, but it irks Martha when their parties are better than hers. And then there are the sheep--all of them smarter than Tom Jefferson, with degrees (no to say "sheepskins") to prove it. What's a Father of his country to do?

David Smalll puts a hilariously sticky fingerprint on the well-polished veneer of American history, showing readers what really went on in the home of our first President.

About this title

About the Author

David Small is the author and illustrator of many books for children, including Paper John, Fenwick's Suit, and The Huckabuck Family, a tale by Carl Sandburg. He has also done the pictures for three books written by his wife, Sarah Stewart: The Money Tree, The Library, and the Caldecott Honor Book The Gardener. He lives in Michigan.

Reviews

Kindergarten-Grade 3?You may very well wonder how a man who could not tell a lie ever found his way into the political arena. Well, according to this outlandish historical tall tale, it all began at Mount Vernon. In description befitting the larger-than-life legend, Small relates the trials and tribulations that face gentleman farmer George Washington. As he is forced to cope with extraordinarily fussy cows, dandified pigs, and intellectually superior sheep, it soon becomes apparent that the man is simply not cut out for country living and he jumps at the chance to make a career change. The only thing funnier than this book's lighthearted, irreverent rhyme is its marvelous watercolor artwork. In accurately rendered detail, the artist's engaging double-spread cartoons depict the interiors and grounds of the historical site, and deftly incorporate the engaging, decidedly eccentric cast of characters, all in period costume. The future father of our country laments, "My cows wear dresses, my pigs wear wigs,/And my sheep are more learned than me./ In all my days on the farm I've seen/nothing to equal such tricks." Washington takes a backseat here, but, as is often the case, the forces that motivate greatness are many, varied, and wide open for speculation.?Luann Toth, School Library Journal
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Witty and silly in equal measure, Small's (Ruby Mae Has Something to Say) cheeky expose about the real reason the father of our country went into politics works on a number of conceptual levels. George Washington's farm is home to a host of precocious animals, including some secretive, moody cows ("They had to be dressed in lavendar gowns/ and bedded on cushions of silk/ .../ Begged every hour in obsequious tones,/ Or they just wouldn't give any milk"); house-servant hogs ("Always polite and impeccably dressed,/ They were certainly well-bred swine"); and a crew of scholarly sheep bent on mastering the mysteries of the universe. Illustrations are opulent and expansive, with both the overall conceits and the characters' costumes wonderfully imaginative and inventive. Buoyant rhymed couples have an across-the-board appeal, while the sly political joke that closes the tale will satisfy adults primarily: George, stymied by the animals ("My cows wear dresses, my pigs wear wigs/ And my sheep are more learned than me"), is last seen in a famous pose, being ferried across the Delaware, and saying, "Sell the Farm... I'll try Politics!" Smart entertainment. All ages.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

The night they drove poor George Washington into politics. His fussbudget cows demand to be swaddled in lavender gowns and bedded on silk. His hogs have all the cultivated solicitude of Jeeves. His sheep pretend to great knowledge. All this is way too much for George, who decides it's better to brave the perils of revolution than stay home on the farm. Small's rhymes are a delight--fun, smart, quick. His illustrations have the same measure of sharp humor: The animals very much take on their roles as dowdy frumps or amiable hoteliers or pathetic, self-important scholars. Everything is turned on its head--clod to preciousness, slob to Mrs. Grundy, idiot to savant--with such good humor that every character emerges as a hero. And, in the process, history is rewritten, fashioned to a reality more compelling than a list of the places George slept. Small (Ruby Mae Has Something to Say, 1992, etc.) may be on to a brand of you-were-there history that could yield some important understandings. (Fiction/Picture book. All ages) -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Gr. 4, younger for reading aloud. With his usual flair and sense of humor, Small spoofs daily life at Mount Vernon. A rhyming text introduces the ridiculously pampered life of Washington's cows: "They had to be dressed in lavender gowns / and bedded on cushions of silk, / Fed on a diet of jam and cream scones, / Frequently sprayed with expensive colognes, / Begged every hour in obsequious tones, / Or they just wouldn't give any milk." Small's watercolors immeasurably extend his zany poem and make maximum use of the double-page spreads. Cleverly designed and well-executed scenes are filled with silly details that children will love (like the anthropomorphised farm animals dressed in historical garb and the facial expressions that reveal just what the various human characters are thinking). Small continues his tale with visions of gracious, helpful pigs and serious, scholarly sheep. All of this is very trying for G. W., so he takes off across the Delaware. And who could blame him? Kathy Broderick

Edition details

• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
• Publication date: 1994
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0374325359
• ISBN 13: 9780374325350
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Small David
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 40