The Cow Who Climbed a Tree - Softcover

Merino, Gemma

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1447214889 ISBN 13: 9781447214885

Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books, 2015

Synopsis

Can Tina show her sisters that there is more to life than chewing grass?

About this title

About the Author:

Gemma Merino won the prestigious Macmillan Prize for Children's Illustration in 2011 for her debut picture book THE CROCODILE WHO DIDN'T LIKE WATER. Published by Macmillan in 2013, the book has gone on to win a string of prizes, including the Coventry Inspiration Award, the Bishop Stortford Picture Book Award and the Heart of Hawick Children's Book Award. She also has been shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize and the Read It Again! Cambridgeshire Picture Book Award, as well as being longlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal. Born in Catalonia, Gemma originally studied architecture in Barcelona and has worked in practices in Spain, Dublin, Tel Aviv, and now London, where she has made her home.

From School Library Journal:

PreS-Gr 2—Tina is a cow with perfectly purple spots. Her three sisters have neat navy spots. Tina has "a thirst for discovery." Her sisters do not, preferring instead to focus on procuring fresh and juicy grass, like good cows do. One day, while exploring the woods, Tina decides to try something new, and climbs a tree ("Up and up she went. When she got to the top, Tina couldn't believe her eyes..."). Who knew there would be a dragon at the top of the tree? A friendly, vegetarian dragon. Wearing red boots. Tina and her new friend spend all afternoon talking about their dreams and sharing stories. That night, Tina tells her sisters about her new friend. They respond with their typical refrain of "IMPOSSIBLE! RIDICULOUS! NONSENSE!" The next morning, Tina's sisters find a note, announcing that Tina has "gone flying with the Dragon of the woods." Completely disgruntled, the three sisters stomp into the woods, where cows do NOT belong, to find Tina and bring her home. Entering the woods for the first time, the sisters are struck by its beauty. Dreamy illustrations, rendered in watery shades of supple reds and a variety of green and brown hues and highlighted with slightly fuzzy dark brown lines, build upon the text, making this a pleasurable read-aloud. The sublime silliness depicts Tina "flying" with the help of a parachute, along with a mouse, pig (yes, pigs fly), rabbit, and owl. And, as it turns out, her three sisters decide, "YES, WHY NOT?" and don parachutes to join the flying festivities. "And after that, they just couldn't wait to see what else was possible." VERDICT Readers will delight in listening to this story about creativity, independent thinking, and being true to oneself.—Lisa Kropp, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY

About this edition

• Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1447214889
• ISBN 13: 9781447214885
• Binding: Paperback