Gloria the Cow Hardcover – September 1, 2006

Description

From School Library Journal PreSchool-Grade 1–Gloria is a large, ungainly Ayrshire with a dream: she wants to be a performer. Even though the other farm animals discount her talent, she never gives up her desire to entertain. A sly, teasing fox convinces the gullible bovine to be a singer. At her first official performance, the other creatures shout and whistle to drown out her abrasive voice and run away when she continues to serenade them. Undeterred, she tries dancing for the crowd. After she trips and falls through the stage, the audience laughs and hopes that Gloria will be satisfied with being a common milk cow. Though discouraged, she knows that there has to be an audience that will acknowledge her talents. She leaves the farm and immediately finds a group of hippos that appreciate her dainty stature, singing, and elegance. The brightly colored illustrations deftly convey the cow's failed attempts to be admired and her determination to succeed. Though Gloria is shown as brown and white in the story, the endpapers feature a black-and-white cow prancing about. There is nothing new in this rather ordinary tale, but it may lead to a discussion about never giving up your dreams. Robert Kinerk's Clorinda (S & S, 2003) also features a persevering cow.–Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Read more