Mrs. O'Leary's Cow
Kindergarten-Grade 1—Mother O'Leary's mischievous cow, a swift kick, and a lighted lantern set the stage for an expanded version of a well-known folk song. With sirens blaring and hoses ready, firefighters lead a daring ladder rescue with the traditional refrain: "There'll be a hot time in the old town tonight!" The youngest readers probably won't notice it, but telephones and modern fire equipment move this tale far beyond its historical foundation, and it has a happy ending. In visually arresting, vibrant oil paintings, firelight enhances faces and shadows, and figures stretch outside a framed cartoon to accompany rhyming text. From the first sparks through a raging blaze, the story builds consistently toward a climactic rescue. This is definitely a book that requires a sing-a-long. Try a verse or two-the pacing of words with illustrations creates an entertaining read, despite any rhythmic stretches of the text.—Mary Elam, Forman Elementary School, Plano, TXCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.