The Day the Cow Sneezed

The Day the Cow Sneezed
James Flora ~ Harcourt, 1957

The Day the Cow Sneezed was most famously reintroduced to the internet world in a blog post by Ward Jenkins... one of my favorite bloggers and the owner of this amazing flickr Mid Century Children's Book collection. (Plus he is a pretty cool illustrator in his own right.) Really... spend a few moments reading his post on the book as he is hugely passionate about this title and his giddy excitement for the subject is infectious.

Like most people who didn't buy this book in the 50s or find it at a library sale, I paid way more for it than I want to admit, but the post-read payback as been huge. If I read it once, I must plan on at least two or three more readings back to back. It is easily one of the boy's favorites ~ incorporating animals, zaniness and sounds effects, three things my son loves. And really, you can find copies online for the price of what two new hardcover children's books would cost anyway. And if your child doesn't tear it apart, you can think of it as an investment.

So, there's this cow, see...

I'll bet your cow never sneezed a hole in the school-house wall. Our cow did. Our old cow Floss sneezed so hard that she tore down city hall, opened up the zoo, and scared the whole city of Sassafras Springs. All with one sneeze.

That sneeze sets off a series of small catastrophes that take Fletcher and his farmyard friends (plus a crop of zoo animals) on a wild ride around town, over a mountain and into the Atlantic Ocean. Spectacular, fireworks infused fun!

Of all the Flora books, The Day the Cow Sneezed seems to be the one that people flock to the most. Ours is (of course) an old library copy, but still highly readable. The first week after I finally broke down and bought it, the boy demanded to sleep with it every night. (So much for that investment.)

UPDATE: Thank goodness it is back in print, so you guys won't have to endure the torture of watching a $50 book get tucked in with your toddler.

Also by:
Pishtosh Bullwash and Wimple
Kangaroo for Christmas
Stewed Goose
Great Green Turkey Creek Monster
Grandpa's Farm
Leopold the See-Through Crumbpicker
Little Hatchy Hen
Grandpa's Witched Up Christmas
My Friend Charlie
Sherwood Walks Home
The Fabulous Firework Family