Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type By: Doreen Cronin

Book Genre: Fiction

Publishing Info: Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division (32 pages)

Awards or honors received: CALDECOTT HONOR BOOK

Summary: The story starts with Farmer Brown having a major problem. His milk cows discovered that they love to type. All Farmer Brown hears all day is….Click, clack, MOO. Click, clack, MOO. Clickety, clack, MOO. He couldn't believe it!! Impossible, cows can’t type! When he went to the barn to investigate there was a note on the barn saying the barn is very cold and the cows would like some electric blankets. The farmer refused so the cows went on strike! The next day he went to the barn and found a note saying the hens are cold and they would like electric blankets also. The farmer refused so the hens went on strike! The farmer did not know what to do; he can’t run a farm without eggs or milk. Farmer Brown got out his typewriter and wrote a note demanding milk and egg from the animals. The cows held an emergency meeting and all the animals gathered. After long hard deliberation they came to a decision. They wrote Farmer Brown a note saying they will exchange their typewriter for electric blankets and if he agrees they will give the typewriter to the ducks. Farmer Brown decided this was a great deal. The animals were ecstatic and on the last page they show all the cows and hens sleeping in the barn with their electric blankets.

Personal rating and reason for rating: ****Great! I really liked this book for several reasons. First, this book would be awesome to read before introducing letter format since it gives several examples throughout the book. This book would fit right into my curriculum because mid year we teach about letter format. I also thought the pictures were fabulous and the expression on the animal’s faces would keep any child interested and anticipating the next page! It also teaches and shows the use of "old" technology. I would guess that my kindergarten students would not know what a typewriter is and this book would be great opportunity to teach it.

Reading level: 2.3 (Accelerated Reader) 2 grade 3rd month

Interest level: K-5

Possible uses of the text in integrated units of study:

Reading: There is a predictable phrase in the story which kindergarten children love to participate in reading with the teacher. (Click, clack, MOO. Click, clack, MOO. Clickety, clack, MOO.) I would read the story through once and then let the students join the second time in helping me read it.

Activity 2: This would need to be prepared before hand but I would rewrite on large poster one letter in letter format that the cows wrote Farmer Brown. After reading the story through once I would talk about letter format by showing the students the letter. I bought one year these sticky strips which I would have the students come up to the letter and put the stick strips around their sight words or words that they can read. In general my students love coming up and reading or finding words that they know! This is great blending/reading practice! This also leads to good classroom management when you get the students actively involved in the story.

Writing: I would ahead of time talk to a upper grade teacher (3rd grade) and ask her for a list of her students. I would then give each of my students one name and we would practice writing a short letter to the third grade students using correct letter format just like farmer Brown and the cows used. This would be a two day writing lesson. On day two we would address the envelope and “mail” the letters to the 3rd grade. Then that teacher would have her student’s write back!

Centers: Borrow a typewriter and actually show the children how we used to type before computers and let them explore and carefully touch the buttons.

United Streaming: (Online) Type in Click, Clack, Moo Cows that type and you're able to watch the story being read on line. (9:22) Grades: K-5 I would complete a double bubble map with the students comparing and contrasting the story I read in class with the story listened to on the internet.

Potential problems or difficulties: The only potential problem that I would anticipate would be my kindergarten students wouldn’t be able to read the letters that the 3rd graders wrote back. I would have to set some time aside to read whole group each of the letters individually.