Pistes d'exploration

Discuss what makes this book so funny. Practise reading the book with the appropriate onomatopoeic expression.

How do the illustrations help you understand the story? Why was the cow pointing to the sheep at the end of the story? How can you tell what the sheep might be thinking? Discuss what might happen next. 

Brainstorm a list of animals and their sounds (camels grunt, komodo dragons hiss, dogs bark, etc.). Re-create the story using one of these animals.

Look at the different Moo’s in the story and practise using the appropriate intonation and expression.

As a group, and while looking at the illustrations, retell the story in words.

Using representative pictures, put the story in chronological order and then retell it.

Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type

Mots-clés

Humour , Picture book , cars , cows , expressive reading , onomatopoeias , punctuation , words

Commentaire descriptif

“Moo” is almost the entire extent of the language in this fun, expressive story. Children will love reading this book (and get some practice in punctuation, too). Key plot elements are also provided by a sign, “Car for Sale,” and a “Police” insignia, as the story recounts a cow’s joyride in the farmer’s car, her smash-up with a police car and her long walk back home. Bold black lines are filled with solid colours; their slight misalignment and subtle textures are reminiscent of traditional lithography techniques. The cow’s great rounded form matches the angry farmer’s tubby figure and fat nose. The graphic representation of the language is a delight: “Moooooooo…” hugs the hilly landscape as the cow speeds down the road; a more subdued, “Moo. Moo. Moo…” retraces her slow route back. Readers of all ages will enjoy the cow’s expression of surprised innocence when confronted by the farmer. Her “Moooo?” floats up, in diminishing type-weight. Youngsters may especially appreciate the story’s final word, as the cow attempts to lay blame elsewhere: “Baaaaa!”