Baby Says "Moo!"

Whenever Baby's parents ask what sounds randomly encountered creatures make, Baby has one answer: "Moo!" "A cat says moo?" respond Baby's parents, with a mixture of mirth and bafflement, and with each incident they recount their toddler's misguided answers. "I can't see how./ Everybody knows a cat says meow./ A bird says tweet,/ and people say hello./ A cow says moo,/ everywhere you go." So is Baby (a) just being a goofball; (b) practicing for an actual cow sighting (which occurs at book's end); (c) giving multiple shout-outs to its purple-spotted bovine lovey; or (d) slyly subverting the parents' attempt to turn every encounter into a teachable moment? While readers debate the answer, they can have a jolly time performing Macken's (Waiting Out the Storm) chipper rhymes; there's just enough variation in the text to keep the running joke fresh, and kids should get a kick out of contributing their own hearty "Moo!" on cue. Walker's (No More, Por Favor) winsome acrylic illustrations are right in synch with the sunny silliness, portraying a world full of baby-loving animals and cheery, pastel-colored stimuli. Ages 1–5. (Mar.)