Tuesday Storytime: Cows

I've done farms, and barnyard animals, and chickens, and I think even horses, but I don't think I've ever done cows before, so my cohort stepped into the gap with this riotous storytime. I think a pattern is emerging: she's way more comfortable and passionate about "funny" storytimes, and that's absolutely a perfect fit, because my sense of humor is a little... weird.

The Cow that Laid an Egg
Andy Cutbill, illustrations by Russell Ayto
ISBN: 9780061372957
Marjorie doesn't have any special talents, but if the chickens' plot goes to plan, she's going to be the most talented cow on the farm. Now there's all sorts of consternation: what exactly is going to hatch out of that egg?

Chicken, Pig, Cow and the Purple Problem
Ruth Ohi
ISBN: 9781554512195
When the girl made the pig and the chicken, she had the right colors, but when she made the cow, all she had for spots was purple clay. Cow doesn't match the pictures in the books, and heads out into the wild to sort herself out properly. Along the way she discovers things much more important than what color your spots are.

When Cows Come Home
David L. Harrison, illustrated by Chris L. Demarest
ISBN: 0563971437
A truly silly rhyming romp through cow-themed situations taken to extremes, and populated by blissfully dancing cows. Reminds me of a long version of Sandra Boynton's style of silliness.

Tuesday Storytime: Beary Good Friends

My co-storyteller's picks this time, with two that I've done myself before, or at least considered using.  Really sweet and cute books. We're back to picking very short and very straightforward reads since our audience has shrunk in both size and age with school snatching away all our older ones.

Bird, Balloon, Bear
Il Sung Na
ISBN: 9780399551567
Bird hopes to be friends with Bear, but Bear already has a good friend: a balloon. Bird watches as they play together happily, but eventually all Chekov's balloons must pop, and new friends made.


Good Luck Bear
Greg Foley
ISBN: 9780670062584
Bear is looking for a four-leaf clover, and has no luck at all. He's feeling quite unlucky, in fact, until his friend Mouse returns with a message of friendship and of finding the unexpected.

Bear and Bee: Too Busy
Sergio Ruzzier
ISBN: 9781423159612
Bear and Bee join forces again in this sequel book (Bear and Bee was a quirky story about prejudice and fears) to have a light-hearted discussion about the concept of doing things that you perhaps don't super enjoy yourself, simply because you want to be with the person doing them, and you enjoy helping the person enjoy the activity. Hard concept for kids and adults, and it's a hard slog for the Bear and Bee too, but they make it work out in the end.