The Little Cow and the Turtle

Our rating: ****½

The little cow is very curious and is always ready to investigate new things around the farm. She makes friends with picnicking children, a group of hoboes, and a man changing a tire. One day, the little cow discovers a snapping turtle that is moving to a new pond. The cow follows the turtle on its journey across a road, several fields, and the dangerous railroad track.

There really isn’t much to say about The Little Cow and the Turtle. It is a wonderful, simple story with no swashbuckling action and no tough decisions—just a curious little cow and a grumpy old turtle. This beautifully written, memorable tale has become one of my new favorites.

Puppy Summer

Our rating: ***

Jon and Vestri are staying at their grandparent’s farm for summer vacation. While they are at the farm, their grandpa tells them about some puppies that are being given away. He sends Jon and Vestri to pick one, but their grandparents end up coming along, too. Because they are unwilling to separate the puppies, Jon, Vestri, and their grandparents take all three. The rest of the summer is fun for Jon and Vestri, until the final days of vacation come and they are faced with the fact that they will have to leave the puppies behind when they go back home.

Puppy Summer is a short book, but it is still a good one. I love how DeJong did the whole thing about the hat (which I couldn’t include in the review without giving away too much of the story). Puppy Summer is out of print.

Journey from Peppermint Street

Our rating: ****

Siebren is tired of baby-sitting his younger brother, Knillis. So when Siebren’s grandpa starts out on a short journey to visit a sick aunt, Siebren is very happy to be able to go along also. On the way, he buys a rather helpful ball from an ex-dike inspector, has an adventure in a scary marsh, and meets a very delightful deaf-and-dumb uncle.

A wonderful story! I really like DeJong’s style of writing. The book is written through Siebren’s eyes, but is still in the third person. The plot is simple, yet enjoyable to older readers. I strongly suggest that you read this book.

The Big Goose and the Little White Duck

Our rating: *****

A shopkeeper has two pets — a big goose, and a little white duck who can only quack very softly. A big boy wants to buy them for his mother, and because of a misconception that it was to be a present for him, his grandfather helps the big boy buy them. The grandfather is determined to eat the goose, but will the goose be able to prove himself useful before it’s too late?

This is a great book. There are some funny things in it. Please read this book! It’s pretty large print and it didn’t take me very, very, very long to read it. However, it’s probably larger than a normal picture book. Unfortunately, The Big Goose and the Little White Duck seems to be out of print. You can go to our Book Tips page for tips on finding books that are out of print.

Hurry Home, Candy

Our rating: ****

George and Catherine, two children, bought a little puppy and took him home when he was too young to be away from his mother. They named him Candy. Living at their house, Candy learned an overwhelming terror of the broom, as the children’s mother would go after him with a broom when he was bad. One day, just when things were starting to get better, the family got a flat tire and while George and his father were fixing it, Catherine took Candy down to the creek. While they were down there, a storm started up and Catherine lost Candy. Now Candy has been living for about a year as a thin, fearful stray. Will Candy ever find a home?

I like this book. Hurry Home Candy, as well as many others of Meindert DeJong’s, is illustrated by Maurice Sendak.