Title: Are You a Cow?

Author: Sandra Boynton

The plot, in three sentences: The reader is asked if they are a variety of animals. The answer is, of course, always no. The perceptive penguin at the end of the story realizes that the child is themselves – and that’s just great.

The audience: 6 months-2 years

The Good:

* The pictures are adorable, as they are in all Sandra Boynton books.

* The Grumpkin is a big fan of this one, especially the ending (and especially if it involves a tummy tickle).

* The bear in sunglasses. I’m a sucker for a bear in sunglasses.
The Bad:

* The only ‘bad’ thing is the fact that the chicken appears twice. Why not use a different animal the second time?

Extend it:

* We name each animal and discuss its features (“The chicken has white feathers! The bear has brown fur and very becoming sunglasses!”).

* We talk about what noises each animal makes as we read the story.

* We also ask “Is Daddy a cow?” “Is Mama a chicken?” (Only when it comes to the dentist.)

Overall: You need this adorable board book in your collection. Your munchkin will love it.