Engagingly written by Rory Feek and charmingly illustrated by Bruno Robert, The Cow Said Neigh!: A Farm Story is the picture book story of some peculiar farm animals who wish they were like other animals on the farm. The cow wants to run free like a horse, the sheep wants a snout like a pig, the dog wants to be inside like the cat. Soon the entire farm is in chaos! With its silly farm animal sounds, clever rhymes, and adorable art, The Cow Said Neigh! will have kids ages 4--8 laughing out loud as they celebrate the unique strengths in each of us. A delightful picture book is sure to be read time and time again and highly recommended for family, daycare center, preschool, elementary school, and community library picture book collections. * Midwest Book Review *
'Feek has written two bestselling adult memoirs about life on his Tennessee farm, and he's half of country music duo Joey+Rory, which he formed with his late wife. It's no surprise, then, that in his first book for children, the setting is a barnyard. From a barn window, a cow looks out longingly at a horse cantering in a nearby field: 'If I were a horse, I could run free all day,' the cow muses. Then it tries out its horse persona, letting out 'a big . . . NEIGH!' Each spread follows a similar pattern: an animal thinks another has a better deal and, as a first step toward enjoying that creature's appealing life, lets out its signature call, from quacks to oinks. The story could have wrapped up with reminders to find gratitude for one's own gifts and avoid the perils of a grass-is-greener outlook, but Feek keeps both the mood and message light with a conclusion that celebrates silliness. Together with Robert's expressive, cartoon-bright illustrations, the playful text, filled with sound effects and refrains, will likely encourage rowdy, participatory read-alouds.' * Publishers Weekly *
'Bright paintings in an expressive animated style add to the humor of the rhyming narrative. Preschoolers will surely giggle at the erroneous sounds coming out of each animal and perhaps suppress an urge to correct. . . . The concept of pure fun will surely resonate.' * Kirkus Reviews *
