Kid Konnection: "Cows Can't" Edition

Every Saturday, I host a feature called Kid Konnection -- a regular weekend feature about anything related to children's books. This week, I'm going to share with two new-to-us books that we both enjoyed a great deal.

Summary: Is it really true that cows can't jump, gorillas can't swim and sloths can't leap? Yes, but discover what these and other animals can do, as they swing, scamper and glide through Cows Can't Jump! In this humorous and inspirational adventure, animals focus on what they do best, comfortably aware they can't do everything, but proud of their own special skills. Vibrantly illustrated, Cows Can't Jump will help young readers learn diverse and dynamic words, while absorbing a subtle yet powerful message that builds self-esteem and teaches respect and humility. -- Jumping Cow Press

COWS CAN'T JUMP by Dave Reisman and illustrated by Jason A. Maas is a delightful book for young children. It is available in both a board book and softcover format so it's ideal for even the youngest of little listeners. And I am pretty sure that kids and parents alike will enjoy the adorable pictures and the overall messages of the story.

Booking Son, despite being a tad bit old for COWS CAN'T JUMP, actually had a great time reading it to me. He found the illustrations to be quite silly and he quickly picked up on the format of the book right away. He told me that he liked the book a lot, and when asked why, he told me that it was funny.

As a mom, I agreed with him, but I think I appreciated the message of COWS CAN'T JUMP a little more than he did. COWS CAN'T JUMP shows youngsters that animals have their own unique skills, and that's it's okay not to be able to do "everything." Since he wasn't exactly quick to pick up on this inspirational message, I pointed this out to him and explained that it was true for people too. Of course, he said, "I know that already." However, I thought this book was a great way to discuss it with him further. And for the record, he knows everything... and he's only seven!

I highly recommend COWS CAN'T JUMP because it is fun and educational. I love that it teaches not only what animals can (and can't do), but it also teaches children about diversity and tolerance!

Summary: Come inside and sing, laugh and howl with the lively and diverse animals of Cows Can't Quack. Young listeners and early readers, ages six months to six years, will be enchanted by the bright and expressive illustrations and the rhythmic and engaging text. This companion to the highly praised Cows Can't Jump imparts a humorous and empowering tale of tolerance, respect and humility and is bound to become a beloved bedtime and storytime favorite for kids and parents alike. -- Jumping Cow Press

COWS CAN'T QUACK by Dave Reisman and illustrated by Jason A. Maas is the recently released sequel to COWS CAN'T JUMP. I was a little worried that the book would be too similar to the first one, and that Booking Son would be bored by the repetition. That was certainly not the case.

In many ways, COWS CAN'T QUACK does have some things in common with COWS CAN'T JUMP. First of all, the format of the story is very similar to the first book. For example, cows can't quack, but they can moo; moose can't moo, but they can grunt; and so on. What made this book so different to me was that they animal sounds and the animals themselves were very unique. The book used some sounds that we don't usually include when teaching our children animal sounds. This book included donkeys who hee-haw, monkeys who chatter, goats who bleat, rabbits who coo, and many more. (And by the way, the only animals who appear in both book are the cows.)

Another thing COWS CAN'T QUACK has in common with COWS CAN'T JUMP is its major theme. Both books teach children the importance of respect and tolerance for others. I truly believe that this is an extremely important message and can't be stressed enough with children, and I also think it's never to early to start introducing these ideas.

COWS CAN'T QUACK is another great book to give to the kiddos in your life.

Thanks to the publisher for sending copies of these books.

If you'd like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children's books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, please leave a comment as well as a link below with your name/blog name and the title of the book! Feel free to grab the little button too!