cover image Two Cool Cows

Two Cool Cows

Toby Speed. Putnam Publishing Group, $15.99 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-399-22647-2

Those wanting to know why the cow jumped over the moon will find some tweakingly twisted answers in this nonsensical story. ``Two cool, too cool'' cows from the Huckabuck farm are looking for fresh grass, and they jump to the moon to find it. The moon is cool, too-with cows aplenty beating bongo drums and doing the bunny hop. But the two cool cows are wearing new ``black button-back boots'' belonging to the four Huckabuck kids, who call them home for milking time. The kids are pleased: Kate plays the fiddle, little Doug laughs and Daisy runs off with Spoon. Speed (Hattie Baked a Wedding Cake) gleefully and rhythmically subverts the nursery classic. And Root (Those Bottles!; Wan Hu Is in the Stars, reviewed below) plays along zestily, coloring the Huckabuck farm with quiet, pastel tints and the moon with rich, jazzy tones-some of which ``return'' with the cows. A rewarding romp. Ages 4-8. (May)