Counting Cows
Ice cream connoisseurs might recognize the black-and-white bovines in this picture book debut from another setting: Jackson's distinctive critters decorate a number of Ben & Jerry's ice cream parlors. Here the animals are placed against lustrous full-spread gouache and watercolor landscapes, as Jackson counts down his herd from 10 to zero ("Nine fenced Friesians," "Eight cool cattle," etc.). Though the backgrounds-rendered in electric blues, reds, oranges, greens and purples-are more impressionistic than lifelike, the artist's sweeping strokes and distant perspectives suggest wide-open country spaces. The final spread belies the animals' seeming indolence, as all 10 are shown decked out in snazzy western wear, gathered for a "Barn dance!" in a cute but tacked-on finale. Ages 3-8.Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.