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kristenremenar's review
3.0
Does anyone else see this title and want to sing like Helen Reddy?
Nadine loves to brag to her two bovine friends that nothing scares her. When they call her on her bluff, all three explore the forest. I think younger ones will enjoy Nadine's bravado-to-excitement-to-fear-to-bravado story.
I liked the solid rhyme but didn't love the voice. Esbaum puts in little narrator comments like, "Um, no" and
"She worried, the bear's gonna get me!
(As if.)"
It is a strong voice, though, and could work in a writing lesson.
Nadine loves to brag to her two bovine friends that nothing scares her. When they call her on her bluff, all three explore the forest. I think younger ones will enjoy Nadine's bravado-to-excitement-to-fear-to-bravado story.
I liked the solid rhyme but didn't love the voice. Esbaum puts in little narrator comments like, "Um, no" and
"She worried, the bear's gonna get me!
(As if.)"
It is a strong voice, though, and could work in a writing lesson.
beths0103's review
2.0
Fun rhyming story with lively illustrations. Didn't care for the ending though.
madelinefmcguire's review
5.0
A fun, silly story written in rhyme about a fearless cow finding out that aren't as fearless as they thought. Super cute, super fun. Love the cows.
heisereads's review
2.0
I was really enjoying this rhyming prose about a cow who ends up brave, but the last two pages ruined it for me. I can't fathom why the message at the end is what it is - I have an issue with it, to the point that I wouldn't feel comfortable putting it in my classroom.
daytonm's review
4.0
Esbaum's syllable and rhyme scheme has a really good beat, and the story was fun if predictable. I am a little concerned about whether Nadine (the bovine protagonist) learned as much from her day in the woods as she perhaps should have—but then again, not all life lessons are learned overnight, and perhaps the small progress Nadine made is more indicative of real life personal development than typical storybook moralizing would have been? I fear, however, that Nadine's small progress will not be enough: The final pages see her literally capitalizing off of her supposed "bravery," and capital's corrupting influence may lead her to forestall individual growth in favor of profit's siren song. Regardless of Nadine's future, I hope the children reading Esbaum's book are able to glean meaningful life lessons (intended by Esbaum or otherwise), and that for these children the legitimate pursuit of esteem--both of self and by others--is not twisted by dishonesty into glorification.
All misgivings aside, what leads me to give this book 4 stars instead of 3 is Gus Gordon's artwork. On the surface it seems unremarkable for the genre, but a closer examination reveals fascinating textures and idiosyncrasies that somehow make the pages feel more real and more surreal at the same time. One gray boulder's surface was imagined as newsprint, complete with text. But Johnson isn't just about flair--he's sincere when it counts. The shear exuberance of the book's centerfold (also the scene on the cover) almost single-handedly makes the book worth the read.
[It's also an easy way to pad your numbers if you're behind on your Goodreads goal of books to read in 2015, and if you write a thoughtful review you'll feel less guilty about it]
All misgivings aside, what leads me to give this book 4 stars instead of 3 is Gus Gordon's artwork. On the surface it seems unremarkable for the genre, but a closer examination reveals fascinating textures and idiosyncrasies that somehow make the pages feel more real and more surreal at the same time. One gray boulder's surface was imagined as newsprint, complete with text. But Johnson isn't just about flair--he's sincere when it counts. The shear exuberance of the book's centerfold (also the scene on the cover) almost single-handedly makes the book worth the read.
[It's also an easy way to pad your numbers if you're behind on your Goodreads goal of books to read in 2015, and if you write a thoughtful review you'll feel less guilty about it]
mandarchy's review
4.0
I think this would be a good book to compare to the Cow Who Climbed a Tree. I read this with my son (he's 7) and he didn't laugh as much as I did. It's very funny.
mrsb_reads's review
3.0
The lying at the end does bother me a little, but if I were sharing this book with students I would use it as a teachable moment and have a discussion about how that lie could hurt her or her friends.
canada_matt's review
4.0
After bragging that she is extremely courageous, Nadine and her fellow bovine beauties wander into the woods. Only then does Nadine realise how spooked she is about all this that hoot and bump in the shadows. Nadine and her friends are separated, forcing them to scramble in the dead of night. Told in a cute rhyming fashion, the story held Neo's attention throughout. I am Neo, see me read!
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