Book! Book! Book! by Deborah Bruss, Tiphanie Beeke (Illustrator)

From the Publisher

You think it¹s easy to check a book out of the library? Well, not if you¹re a cow!When the children go back to school, the animals on the farm have nothing to do. That is . . . until they discover the building with the word ³Library² on the front. But when Cow, Pig, Horse, and Goat try to check out a book, they are me t with a very puzzled librarian. Why can¹t she understand? It is only when Hen gives it a try‹³book! Book! BOOK!²‹that the animals finally get what they want!

Book Magazine

Bored because the farm children have gone back to school, a group of animals hikes into town one day. They see adults and children with happy faces emerging from a building labeled "Public Library," so one by one the animals enter to find something to do. The friendly librarian can't understand their neighs, moos, baaahs and oinks, until the chicken comes in clucking, "Book! Book!" Childlike illustrations glowing with rich colors follow the pleased book-bearing menagerie home, where "their sounds of delight lasted until sundown."
—Kristin Kloberdanz

Publishers Weekly

When the children leave the farm to go back to school, the bored barnyard animals head to the library in search of something to do. But their language ("Neigh! Neigh!" and "Moo! Moo!") is only so much noise for the kindly but confused librarian--until a determined hen flaps in and clucks "Book! Book! Book!" Soon, the gang is back on the farm happily having a story hour of their own (the cow even presents a puppet show). The plot of this debut book may be predictable, but Beeke's (The Brand New Creature) acrylic-and-watercolor paintings buoy the story. With a cheery, na f style and dappled, Easter-basket colors, the artist makes every full-bleed spread look like a sunny mural composed by young library goers, and her vignettes keep the attempts at communication tightly focused. Even though her characterizations are deceptively simple, the resolve of the plucky fowl and glee of the newly book-equipped animals shines through. Young bibliophiles in particular will appreciate Beeke's depiction of the library as a welcoming place of fun and possibilities. Ages 2-6. (May) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Children's Literature

A simple yet delightful tale that's well-told and well-illustrated, this is a story that parents, grandparents, teachers and story-hour librarians won't mind reading again and again, especially if they like to make barnyard noises. A group of farm animals wander into town in search of something to do and find that all the happy faces can be seen entering the public library. One by one, they try to get books but they are not understood. The hen, of course, is able to fulfill her quest (see the title to figure out why). Beeke's watercolor and acrylic illustrations are pleasingly simple, mimicking the drawings of children with the warmth and precision of an artist who knows how to appeal to kids while creating a style all her own. A must-have for anyone involved with small children. 2001, Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic Books, . Ages 2 to 5. Reviewer: Donna Freedman

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1-Bruss has taken an old joke and drawn it out into a full-length picture book. When the children return to school, the barnyard is quiet and very dull. When the hen announces that she is heading to town, the rest of the animals follow. Seeing happy faces coming out of the library, she informs the others that she will go in and find something for them to do. Told that she is "too small for such a big job," the larger creatures take turns venturing inside, but cannot make themselves understood. Finally the hen goes in, says "Book! Book! Book!," and comes out with the desired items. The animals return to the farm and are pictured reading until the sun sets. In the unlikely event that children haven't already heard this joke, they will not be impressed by this belabored version. The very title of the story gives away the punch line and makes it anticlimactic. Beeke's watercolor illustrations featuring blue horses and dot-eyed children are pleasant but unexceptional.- Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

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