Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type

Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type - Doreen Cronin & illustrated by Betsey Lewin
Caldecott Honor Book
Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 0-689-83213-3

My rating: 4.5 out of 5

This is a great book. "Click, Clack, Moo" has a simple premise and story that kids will find easy to follow and will enjoy. If teachers decide to use this as a read-aloud, they may want to bring in a typewriter or spend some time explaining the simple machine to students who, by the time they enter the classroom, have been immersed in a world full of computers, video games, and internet, and may not know what a typewriter is.

The one thing that really drew me into this book was the wonderful illustrations by Ms. Lewin. As someone who enjoys creating art, I can say that I find watercolors incredibly hard to control, but Ms. Lewin has done a wonderful job at using the paint medium to create a bright, colorful world that will draw anyone into the story. I was particularly impressed by her ability to portray the animals in the dark/shadows while still making the page bright with color.

"Click, Clack, Moo" is a funny and wonderful story and would make a great read-aloud. Many activities can be branched off from this book into various different subjects. One that comes to mind is connecting this with history and discussing strikes, mediation, and unions. Another possibility is doing an English lesson on letter writing and composition.

"Click, Clack, Moo" is a fun and well-illustrated story that will be enjoyed by many children to come.