The Cow Who Wouldn't Come Down

ISBN: 0531054810

Author: Johnson, Paul Brett

Condition: Used

From Kirkus ReviewsPoor Miss Rosemary! Gertrude, her cow, has a mind of her own, and now she's literally up in the air, where neither threats, promises, lures, nor lassoes ensnare her. Solution: a sturdy-looking replacement--stitched together, stuffed, shod with roller skates, and dubbed ``Matilda''--so provokes Gertrude's jealousy that she comes ``down like a rocket..land[s] squarely on Matilda and mashe[s] her flat.'' Johnson, ``a well-known painter from Kentucky's Appalachian coalfields,'' tells his comical tall tale with a pleasantly brisk lilt and sets it firmly in mountain farm country, outlining the vagrant cow and her vigorous, matronly mistress in authoritative black, dappling the landscape in luminous color, and deftly varying full-page scenes with spreads and vignettes. A delightful and well-polished first performance. (Picture book. 4-8) -- Copyright 1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.Product DescriptionFrom Publishers WeeklyJohnson's impressively polished first book tells a merry and mirthful story of a strong-willed cow with a singular ability. Despite the commands and cajoling of the elderly, equally resolute Miss Rosemary ("in something of a tizzy"), this brazen bovine insists on flying through the air. After unsuccessful--though hilarious--attempts to apprehend the animal with a fishing rod and a lasso, Miss Rosemary devises a plan to bring Gertrude back to earth--a scheme that rivals the gift of the Trojan horse for sheer cunning. In a waggish finale, the now-earthbound Gertrude prepares to indulge in another droll display of un-bovine behavior. Johnson's crisply defined acrylic paintings, capturing the flavor of his native Kentucky Appalachians, offer a passel of amusing images--Gertrude perched on a treetop, trying to pass for a bird ("It's a known fact cows don't murp. They moo," grumbles Miss Rosemary); a foiled Miss Rosemary flying through the air, only her skirt and duck-printed bloomers visible. The flap copy states that Johnson is working on two subsequent books: youngsters are apparently in for further treats from this talented author-artist. Ages 3-6.Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.From School Library JournalPreSchool-Grade 3-- " 'It's a known fact cows don't fly,' " says Miss Rosemary, but apparently Gertrude has not heard. She's the picture of bovine grace as she glides over the farm cutting figure eights, and simply radiates contentment. Miss Rosemary, on the other hand, is concerned about what the neighbors will think and wonders how she could possibly milk a flying cow. With dogged determination, the elderly woman sets about bringing Gertrude down. After several nearly disastrous attempts, she begins a subtler campaign by bringing in a substitute "cow." Johnson's high-flying original tale will have preschool listeners rolling off their sit-upons. The only question is who will be their favorite character--the uniquely talented and territorial Gertrude or the wily Miss Rosemary. His full-color, acrylic paintings are the perfect match for the humorous story. Executed in pastel tones with backgrounds reminiscent of Seurat, these fine illustrations reveal the changing moods and gradual dishevelment of this fine country lady and the bliss experienced by her cow. Youngsters will enjoy noticing Miss Rosemary's goose and pig, whose expressions range from perplexity to aggravation to satisfaction to complete amazement. A virtuoso debut! --Jeanne Marie Clancy, Upper Merion Township Library, King of Prussia, PACopyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.