by Moe Zilla

Created on: May 28, 2010

"Farmer Brown has a problem. His cows like to type."

It's a very funny story by Doreen Cronin. She also wrote "Diary of a Spider" (and its sequels, "Diary of a Spider" and "Diary of a Worm"), and in this book she shows the same affection for her animal characters - and also the creative way that she likes to try playful formats. It could almost be called "Diary of a Cow," except that in this book, the cows are typing out a list of their demands!

"Dear Farmer Brown, the barn is very cold at night. We'd like some electric blankets. Sincerely, The Cows."

The colorful watercolors by Betsy Lewin make this story even funnier. She uses thick lines for her drawings (like the primitive outlines of a child's cartoon), while sketching out all the necessary shapes for the animals at work. And they're filled in sunny (and shadowy) farm-colored tints. So what could be an ominous story about an animal uprising just looks like a simple, silly story about some funny-looking cows.

They peek out from the barn with expectant round eyes as the farmer reads their latest note. ("Sorry. We're closed. No milk today.") The angry farmer is seen only as a shadow - though it's clear that he's angry from the way all of his hair is pointing straight out of his head! And in the next illustration, the herd of white-and-black cows is seen clustered around a tiny typewriter.  

"Click, clack, moo. Clickety, clack, moo."

Their next note demands electric blankets for the hens. And soon a line of chickens is seen, spreading across two pages, with one chicken holding another defiant note in its beak. ("Closed... No eggs.") It's could almost double as an adult parody of capitalism, and in the scene where the farmer types out his response, it's delivered by a duck described as "a neutral party." The book ultimately won a Caldecott Medal of Honor - and I have to admire the way it discovers a happy solution that works for both the aniamls and the farmer.

"We will exchange our typewriter for electric blankets. Leave them outside the barn door and we will send Duck over with the typerwriter. Sincerely, The Cows."

But unfortunately, there's one last funny twist that the farmer hadn't counted on. Instead of receiving the typewriter the next day, he receives instead - another message. "Dear Farmer Brown, The pond is quite boring. We'd like a diving board.

"Sincerely, The Ducks..."

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