| ________________
CM . . .
. Volume VIII Number 18 . . . . May 10, 2002
excerpt:
"What kind of hat may I show you?" asked the hatter. And Cappuccina replied, "BLOOOOooo".
Cappuccina,
a holstein cow, leads a quiet, pleasant life on the farm. But, as she
watches people drive by the pasture on the road to town, she dreams of
what life would be like as a person. After a storm breaks the fence enclosing
the pasture, Cappuccina heads off down the road to discover life in town
and to try on human apparel.
Written by mother/daughter co-authors,
Cappuccina Goes to Town is a lighthearted story about a cow discovering
who she is and where she belongs. The text ably conveys the "voice"
of the cow. Cappuccina likes to have everything "BLOOOooo." Similarly,
the illustrations convey the warmth and humor of Cappuccina's adventure.
Each page is framed by warm orange/yellow backgrounds and fruits. This
"framing" creates the effect of the reader's becoming an "observer"
of Cappuccina's activities. The farmers and the business people are
portrayed as warm, loving people who are amused by Cappuccina's antics.
Children will be delighted by the silly
antics of a cow that is trying to be a person. They will also understand
why Cappuccina is happy to be a cow in the pasture rather than a person.
In general, I liked the book. However,
there is a little kitten introduced into the story through the illustrations
that is not mentioned in the story. As the kitten stays with Cappuccina
from the middle of the story through to the end, I wondered about the
significance of the cat. Is it just a new friend that Cappuccina made
in town? Has the cat decided to live on the farm with Cappuccina? Readers
might want to make their own conclusions about the cat. While the nostalgic
illustrations of rural life and community add to the warmth of the story,
parents and teachers might want to discuss modern rural life and agricultural
practices, especially with urban children having no contact with the
modern farm.
Recommended. Denise
Weir is a consultant for Manitoba Culture, Heritage, and Tourism, Public
Library Services. Her professional background includes developing children's
programming and school librarianship.
To comment on this
title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.
Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal
use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other
reproduction is prohibited without permission.
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