Cows in the Kitchen

Tom Farmer wakes up to mischief in a sprightly read-aloud that children will scramble to participate in.

While Tom Farmer naps in the haystack, his animals take over the farmhouse. There are cows in the kitchen, ducks in the cupboard, hens on the hat stand, pigs in the pantry, and even sheep on the sofa! What will happen when Tom Farmer wakes up? June Crebbin's boisterous text—a wild and wacky version of a nursery song modeled on "Skip to My Lou"—and Katharine McEwen's spririted illustrations combine for some riotous barnyard fun.

June Crebbin taught school before retiring in order to devote herself entirely to writing. She says, "While I was visiting the preschool-aged children at the school where I used to teach, they were singing a version of 'Cows in the Kitchen.' I thought it was so much fun that it inspired me to write my own!"

Katharine McEwen recently graduated from a three-year course in illustration. "What I like about this story," she says, "is the mischievous nature of all the animals. I loved painting the chaos they caused, especially in the final pages."