About the Holiday

While today’s holiday started out as a clever ruse to entice people to eat more chicken, it also gives us an opportunity to think about the world’s bovine citizens. These gentle animals deserve healthy and humane treatment as they provide our diets with needed protein as well as delicious treats. Cows appear in untold numbers of stories and songs for little ones, making them a favorite of young readers everywhere!

Cows Can’t Jump

Written by Dave Reisman | Illustrated by Jason A. Maas

 

In this early literacy/beginning reader picture book, Dave Reisman introduces kids to nineteen animals and the way they can move. The repeated refrain, which begins with “cows can’t jump, but they can swim,” leads to young readers meeting a gorilla who can’t swim but who can swing, a galloping giraffe, a slithering snake, a stampeding bull, and many other favorite animals reacting to the previous interloper in humorous ways. Reisman presents active, evocative, and high-interest verbs that will capture the attention and imagination of young readers and help with their vocabulary development.

The short, simple sentences will have even the youngest child joining in on the repeated phrases, and with repeat readings, they’ll begin to remember how each animal moves and be able to happily read along. The underlying theme of the story—that each animal is unique—will resonate with adult readers and their little ones.

Jason A. Maas’s bright, textured paintings put the focus on each animal and their movements. Page turns are cleverly designed so that the animals meet under startling and funny circumstances. The cartoon-inspired drawings will delight kids and elicit plenty of giggles as each animal responds to the newcomer with wide eyes and quick getaways, until…the lizard leaps onto a branch that is already occupied and discovers that “sloths can’t leap…but they can sleep.”

Cows Can’t Jump will be released in a bilingual English/Spanish edition: Las vacas no pueden saltar in August, 2019.

Ages 2 – 7

Jumping Cow Press, 2018 | ISBN 978-0980143300 (Paperback) | ISBN 978-0998001005 (Stubby and Stout Board Book)

Cows Can’t Quack

Written by Dave Reisman | Illustrated by Jason A. Maas

 

Following the same format as Cows Can’t Jump, Dave Reisman brings together a gaggle of animals all making their own unique sounds. Here twenty-two animals from the farm, forest, ocean, and air show off their vocal stylings with funny results. As the moose grunts, the donkey hee-haws, the hippo brays, the goose cackles, and the day ends with a puppy snoring, little ones will be eager to learn more about these creatures.

Just as in Cows Can’t Jump, Reisman enchants with verbs that invite kids to participate in the reading with their own interpretations of the sounds. Children will also enthusiastically read along on the repeated phrasing. While each animal speaks in its own language, children are reminded of the diversity and richness of the world’s languages.

Once again Jason A. Maas’s animals, with their rakish charm and humorous responses that cause feathers to fly, a baby penguin to hatch, and a donkey to kick up his heels, will have little ones laughing along with their language learning.

Ages 3 – 7

Jumping Cow Press, 2016 | ISBN 978-0980143348 | ISBN 978-0998001012 (Stubby and Stout Board Book)

Cows Can’t Spin Silk

Written by Dave Reisman | Illustrated by Jason A. Maas

 

Little ones will be happy to see their cow friend from Cows Can’t Jump and Cows Can’t Quack in this third book in the Cows Can’t… Series. This time, she looks on astonished as a silk worm drops down into the barn doorway on a long, silky thread. Cows may not be able to “spin silk…but they can make milk.” The woodpeckers in the nearby tree look astonished at this talent, but in the next moment they return to what they do best: “hammer holes.” The surprised alligator can’t do that, but he “can dig gator-ponds.”

The alligator in their midst sends the rest of the animals scurrying—from the spider that weaves a web to the chickens that “lay eggs” to the ants that “build bridges.” Joining the animals are some other talented insects—caterpillars that “construct cocoons, wasps that “craft paper,” and bees that create honey”—and a few sea creatures like squid that “can squirt ink,” oysters that “can produce pearls,” and octopuses that “can erect barricades.”

The inclusion of some more unusual animals and their impressive talents in Cows Can’t Spin Silk offer adults and kids an opportunity to discover more about the animal kingdom and what each animal can do. In addition to presenting new vocabulary, and a read aloud treat, the book can encourage families to get outdoors to see if they can find evidence of any of the animal creations mentioned in the story.

Readers familiar with Jason A. Maas’s illustrations for the series will be delighted with the gentle suspense that carries the story as the alligators, skunks, chipmunks, beavers, bears and fourteen other animals use their smarts to create homes, defend themselves, make tools, and display other skills.

Connecting this story to the idea that each person has their own special talent or talents extends the educational language and literacy learning of the book to personal discussions and explorations adults can share with their kids.

Ages 3 – 7

Jumping Cow Press, 2018 | ISBN 978-0998001029 (Paperback ) | ISBN 978-0998001036 (Stubby and Stout Board Book)

Recommended by early literacy organizations, such as the Parent-Child Home program, the Cows Can’t Series offers little learners and beginning readers familiar, reassuring, and fun encouragement as they begin learning the structures of language and developing confidence in their own skills. The books would be welcome additions to home, classroom, and public library collections for read aloud story times or for beginning readers.

To learn more about Jumping Cow Press and find  printable activities, visit their website. And watch for the newest title in the Cows Can’t… Series: Cows Can’t Blow Bubbles, coming in August 2019.

Discover more about Jason A. Maas, his books, and his art, visit his website.

Cow Appreciation Day Activity

Cows Can’t Jump Word Search

 

Each animal in Cows Can’t Jump has a special way of moving. Can you find seventeen words that describe how different animals get around in this printable puzzle?

Cows Can’t Jump Word Search Puzzle | Cows Can’t Jump Word Search Solution

You can find the Cows Can’t Series at these booksellers

Cows Can’t Spin Silk

Amazon 

Cows Can’t Quack

Amazon | Barnes & Noble 

Cows Can’t Jump

Amazon | Barnes & Noble 

Picture Book Review