Get ready to laugh with Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Cronin, Doreen. 2000. Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type. Ill. by Betsy Lewin. New York: Scholastic Inc. ISBN 0-439-21648-6

PLOT SUMMARY

This is the story of Farmer Brown and the highly intelligent animals who live on his farm.  His cows have discovered a typewriter and begin to type letters to him, demanding they be given some electric blankets.  When Farmer Brown refuses, the cows go on strike and refuse to give milk.  The hens get involved and demand their own electric blankets.  Again, the farmer refuses, and subsequently, the hens go on strike, too.  Eventually the cows and Farmer Brown come to an agreement; he will give them and the hens electric blankets if they return the typewriter.  The story ends with the ducks, who are now in possession of the typewriter, typing a letter with their own demand - a diving board for the pond.  The last page is a simple illustration of a duck diving into the water from a diving board, leaving the reader to assume that not only did Farmer Brown acquiesce to their request, but his troubles are far from over.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The combination of Doreen Cronin's lighthearted text and Betsy Lewin's comic watercolor illustrations make this book a true gem.  The story begins in the midst of Farmer Brown's unusual problem; his cows like to type.  As Cronin points out, these cows only speak "moo."  But in a hilarious turn of events, the cows are somehow able to communicate in English with the farmer through the letters they type.  Rather than reacting in shock and awe that his cows know how to use a typewriter, Farmer Brown becomes furious that they would have the audacity to make such demands.  Cronin engages the readers and invites them to participate with her repetition of "Click, clack, moo.  Click, clack, moo.  Clickety, clack, moo."  She even adds humor the adults will appreciate, referring to Duck as a neutral party in this conflict between farmer and cows.  The themes of conflict resolution and compromise are woven into the story in a humorous way that even young readers can understand.

The illustrations in this book complement the storyline and add even more hilarity.  Lewin uses bright watercolors and paints the cows and hens with wide eyes, giving them a look of almost perpetual confusion.  The illustrations tell parts of the story that the text does not.  The cows and hens are depicted sleeping peacefully with their newly acquired electric blankets, letting the reader know how happy they are with the way things worked out.  The duck jumping off the diving board tells the readers what became of the request the ducks had made.  It also causes the reader to speculate that perhaps Farmer Brown will be receiving more letters in the future.   

Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type has been a favorite of mine since I began my teaching career in 2001.  I used this book as a silly way to motivate my first grade students to write.  This is a picture of a poster I had hanging in my classroom.

 Now, my own children enjoy this book almost as much as I do.  We've read it together numerous times, and it never fails to cause lots of giggles!  My 6 year old daughter said, "I liked how the cows could type, and then at the end, instead of giving the typewriter to Farmer Brown, the ducks kept it for themselves!"  My 4 year old son liked "the part when the farmer got out his own typewriter.  It was funny at the end when the duck jumped in the pond!"

REVIEW EXCERPTS

2001 Caldecott Honor Book

2007 National Education Association "Teachers' Top 100 Books For Children"

2012 School Library Journal "Top 100 Picture Books"

From PUBLISHERS WEEKLY - "Plucky barnyard denizens unite to improve their working conditions in this hilarious debut picture book from Cronin (appropriately enough, an attorney)...Lewin's bold, loose-lined watercolors set a light and easygoing mood that matches Farmer Brown's very funny predicament.  Kids and underdogs everywhere will cheer for the clever critters that calmly and politely stand up for their rights, while their human caretaker becomes more and more unglued."

From BOOKLIST - "Lewin's wild line-and-watercolor cartoons are perfectly suited to this barnyard farce about animals that go on strike to demand better working conditions."

From Esme Raji Codell, Bookbag Magazine - "This hilarious story with a surprise ending is a great tribute to fair play and the introduces the power of communication in a way that even the youngest listener will enjoy."

CONNECTIONS

Read the subsequent books in this series.  Discuss the similarities and differences in each book.

• Cronin, Doreen. Giggle, Giggle, Quack. ISBN 0-689-84506-5
• Cronin, Doreen. Duck For President. ISBN 0-689-86377-2

Use this book as an introduction to persuasive letter writing.

Discuss personification - when an author makes an animal or object take on characteristics of people. How did the author use personification in this book?  Can you think of other books where personification was used?

Do a creative writing activity where students are asked to write about what their pets would say and ask for if they could talk.

The cows in this story get cold at night.  Discuss other ways they could keep themselves warm.

Draw a picture of the ducks' pond.  Add any other features (besides the diving board) that you think the ducks would like.