I wanted to like this, but I found it boring. It reminded me too much of [b:Defiance|297677|Defiance|Valerie Hobbs|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1386924238s/297677.jpg|288817]. Both books are about a kid who meets an eccentric old lady with a cow. The old lady helps the kid see the world differently. Thanks, magical old lady! Thanks, cow!

I think the blank verse/concrete poetry/creative typography stuff will appeal to fans of, like, Geronimo Stilton? I wasn't impressed by it. It seemed somehow lazy for a writer as talented as Creech. Like, let's write "drip" like this:

d r i p
r
i
p

and, oh, isn't that cool, don't you just get what drips are like from the way the letters are spaced?

(Now I'm just being mean.)

So, if you want a children's novel in verse about how special cows are, I'd recommend [b:Home of the Brave|1835150|Home of the Brave|Katherine Applegate|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1437190898s/1835150.jpg|1835121].

Apologies to Sharon Creech for the snark. I suppose this is a sweet book in it's way. I really do love [b:Love That Dog|53498|Love That Dog (Jack, #1)|Sharon Creech|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1415581593s/53498.jpg|984829] and [b:Walk Two Moons|53496|Walk Two Moons|Sharon Creech|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1389035862s/53496.jpg|1237212] and recommend them all the time. Maybe I'll try reading MOO again sometime when I'm not feeling pressure to come up with brilliant Mock Newbery picks.
( )

This was a very quick read, almost a novel in verse, but not quite. The text is sparse, but the narrative is rich. Reena and her brother Luke move to Maine with their parents and are quickly pressed into service with the eccentric Mrs. Falala and her equally eccentric animals. This is all very new to Reena and Luke, who until then had been city kids, through and through. But, with the adaptability and resilience of children, they embrace their new role as caretakers, particularly of the moody and cantankerous cow, Zola. What evolves is a relationship of mutual affection and trust between Reena and Zola, with some charming and heartbreaking moments along the way. No spoilers here, but I was smiling through tears by the end of the story. ( )

I'm a bit torn. I really didn't like this book to begin with. The nastiness of Mrs. Falala was horrible and even more so that the children's parents did nothing to protect their kids from it, but rather forced their children into what initially was quite an emotionally anguishing situation. That seemed deeply unhealthy. I never connected with Mrs. Falala because of that. She felt abusive. The rest of the story was fine, if a bit cliched, but really wish that Mrs. Falala's character was drawn differently in the beginning. ( )

Who knew that a Moooo from a ornery old cow could warm your heart? When Reena and her family move from the big city to Maine on a whim, they have no idea how Zora; a Belted Galloway cow (a cow that looks like a Oreo cookie!) and her quirky italian owner will change their lives and their family forever.
A delightful, heartwarming read! ( )

Who knew that a Moooo from a ornery old cow could warm your heart? When Reena and her family move from the big city to Maine on a whim, they have no idea how Zora; a Belted Galloway cow (a cow that looks like a Oreo cookie!) and her quirky italian owner will change their lives and their family forever.
A delightful, heartwarming read! ( )