The Cow Who Wouldn't Come Down

Johnson's impressively polished first book tells a merry and mirthful story of a strong-willed cow with a singular ability. Despite the commands and cajoling of the elderly, equally resolute Miss Rosemary (``in something of a tizzy''), this brazen bovine insists on flying through the air. After unsuccessful--though hilarious--attempts to apprehend the animal with a fishing rod and a lasso, Miss Rosemary devises a plan to bring Gertrude back to earth--a scheme that rivals the gift of the Trojan horse for sheer cunning. In a waggish finale, the now-earthbound Gertrude prepares to indulge in another droll display of un-bovine behavior. Johnson's crisply defined acrylic paintings, capturing the flavor of his native Kentucky Appalachians, offer a passel of amusing images--Gertrude perched on a treetop, trying to pass for a bird (``It's a known fact cows don't murp. They moo,'' grumbles Miss Rosemary); a foiled Miss Rosemary flying through the air, only her skirt and duck-printed bloomers visible. The flap copy states that Johnson is working on two subsequent books: youngsters are apparently in for further treats from this talented author-artist. Ages 3-6. (Mar.)