This delightfully silly picture book begins, 'There was once a cow that went OINK.' The misfit cow is miserable until she meets a pig who says 'moo'. Despite the other farm animals' constant derision, the two laboriously teach each other and become the only animals on the farm who can make two sounds, thus getting the last laugh. Simple, readable, and sturdy, the book is pure fun, and the bold illustrations are the perfect accompaniment.

A cow that says "oink," and a pig that says "moo," ostracized by their respective peers, teach each other the appropriate sound to make, and get the last laugh. "The author slips several important morals—and considerable wit—into this entertaining barnyard tale," wrote <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">PW. Ages 2-5. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(Sept.)

PreS-Gr 1-- A simple, sensitive story that lends itself to creative dramatization, participation, and self-expression. A cow and a pig are laughed at because they aren't like the other farm animals. Through friendship and determination, they turn the situation around, and the story ends on a high note with both animals being different in a positive way. Since many words, such as moo'' andoink,'' are capitalized and repeated throughout, both memory and word recognition skills are strengthened. One single large-print sentence appears on the top of each page. Children will especially like the pages showing the many different farm animals with their corresponding word-balloon sounds. Most's cartoonlike drawings in vivid, colorfully blended Pantone markers support the mood and the message of the story. A read-aloud that can easily motivate class discussion. --Judith A. Galganski, Reinstein Memorial Library, Cheektowaga, NY