Not Now Cow: A DratherB Reading Jr. Picture Book Recommendation

The picture book, Not Now Cow, by Tammi Sauer and illustrated by Troy Cummings can be found at:

Amazon (not affiliated at this time)

https://www.worldcat.org/ Library near you

https://www.indiebound.org/ Local Bookstore

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PICTURE BOOK LIBRARY TRIP

I love going to the library with my grandkids. Teaching them to love reading is an important part of grandma life. This picture book, Not Now Cow, is a repeat checkout for my four-year-old grandson. He has an amazing sense for the ridiculous, and this book hits the spot every time. He loves it so much, that I purchased it to have at home.

In this book, the farm animals all look forward to the change of season. It starts with Spring and goes through each one.

The wide variety of animals all dress and embrace the activities of that season. Everyone except cow. Cow does it differently. He dresses wrong and has the wrong seasonal toys. Rooster is the serious one and does not appreciate Cow’s antics. He exclaims, “Oh, Cow. Not now.” My grandson cracks up every single time, no matter how many times we read it. He loves how silly cow is.

WHY I LOVE NOT NOW COW

There are so many reasons to love Not Now Cow as a picture book for your kids. I like to be able to teach concepts, and there’s something new to talk about each time you pick up this book.

Silly

I think my top reason for loving this book is that it makes kids laugh. The silly things that cow wears and does makes us laugh. And laughing is such an important part of finding joy each day. There’s always stress — even for little kids. We like to point out the silly mittens or snow boots Cow wears on his hoofs. It seems like he likes the winter season the best. Except for in the winter. Then he’s decked out for summer.

Illustrations

The illustrations are absolutely perfect. They’re colorful and catch the character’s expressions in the best way. Troy Cummings does an excellent job of showing the seasons and how many fun things there are to do. And he’s chosen great outfits for everyone. Especially Cow. I like his artistic style and the range of colors, too.

Emotions

There are so many emotions to talk about. Happy, surprised, angry, shocked, content. It’s important for kids to be able to express how they’re feeling, and this is a great book to discuss each animal’s reaction — even the bee. “What do you think they’re feeling?” “How would you feel?” “Wow, that rooster looks angry. Why is he upset?” Use different words, so your youngsters have more vocabulary to draw from. Recognizing how we feel is the first step to accepting our emotions.

Seasons

Nature and the seasons are a great subject with kids. Like I said before, the illustrations are great. Tammi Sauer does a great job of naming things to do in each season in a few words. This helps keep the kids’ attention and allows for discussion about what their interests are.

Rhyme

The rhyming is very simple but fun. Each season has a different rhyming sound. I like to pause before the last rhyme and see if the child is able to guess what the word is based on the previous sounds. It’s also a great way to introduce poetry to kids. The rhythm in this book is very easy to pick up.

Farm Animals

I live on a mini farm and love my animals dearly. I don’t have nearly the amount I want. This picture book has a wide variety of farm animals. Pointing and naming each animal, without even reading the story, can be a lot of fun for toddlers. Duck. Sheep. Goat. Rooster. Bee. Butterfly. Chick. Pig. Horse. Squirrel. Cardinal (bird). What sound do they make? Are there any farm animals missing?

Being Different

When we’re different, sometimes it feels like that’s a bad thing. Tammi Sauer shows that Cow is happy and content to enjoy the seasons different from everyone else. Even when Rooster is upset about it, Cow doesn’t have to change. It’s okay to like what we like. Sometimes that’s hard as a parent — to let our kids be themselves. We might want them to fit in more. I know there were times I was afraid my child would get made fun of. But as my mom would say, “She must be she.” (or he must be he – or they must be they – depending on the situation we were in). It’s a great lesson for adults — to let our kids dress and express themselves in a way that brings them joy.

RECOMMEND!

I didn’t receive any compensation for recommending or reviewing this story. It’s simply a book we picked up from the library and loved. I hope you’ll visit the library with your kids, grandkids, nephews, or nieces and give Not Now Cow a try. Maybe add it to your personal library, like I did.

YOUR TURN

Have you read this book before? If you have, share your review. Is there a book like it you’d recommend?