Sailor Moo: Cow at Sea

A Fantastical Tale of an Oceangoing Cow

Oct 18, 2008 Kelley Huston

Sailor Moo: Cow at Sea is a delightful children's book about a young cow and her seafaring adventures.

Sailor Moo: Cow at Sea is a children's book written by Lisa Wheeler with pictures by Ponder Goembel. This lovely story was published by Antheum Books for Young Readers in 2002. It is the story of a young cow and her fantastic journey on the ocean.

Plot

Sailor Moo: Cow at Sea is the story of a young cow named Moo. Moo wasn't like all the other cows. She didn't like the peaceful life on the farm. She longed for adventure on the high seas. One day she decided to leave the farm for the sea. She traveled to the waterfront and boarded the first ship she saw. The ship was a feline fishing boat, owned by Captain Silver Claw. Moo and Silver Claw made a deal that as long as Moo provided the crew with a gallon of milk a day she could stay on the ship as the galley cook. Moo was ignored by the feisty cats so she made friends with the sea cows.

One day during a storm, Moo fell overboard. She would have drowned, but the sea cows rescued her. They took her to the ship of Red Angus. Red Angus and his crew happened to be pirates. Moo convinced the handsome Red Angus to give up pirating. Moo and Red Angus were married. In the end, we see Moo, Red Angus and their calf living peacefully on the Jersey Shore selling ice cream.

The story is written in poem form with each second and fourth line on the page rhyming. Each section of stanzas lasts for two or three pages. Each section ends with a version of Yo-ho-ho. For example, when Moo leaves the farm the verse ends "Yo-ho-ho and a shiver me be whoever heard of a cow at sea?"

Illustrations

The illustrations are colorful and help tell the story. In the beginning when Moo is on the farm, she appears on all four feet like all the other cows. When she decides to leave, she becomes humanlike--walking on her hind hooves and using her front hooves like hands. The pictures are clever in that when Moo appears facing the reader her udders are always covered as is the front of Red Angus when he is facing the reader.

Sailor Moo: Cow at Sea is a delightful tale that will be read again and again. Both boys and girls will love this story of the cow who goes to sea and ask to hear it again and again.

The copyright of the article Sailor Moo: Cow at Sea in Children’s Books is owned by Kelley Huston. Permission to republish Sailor Moo: Cow at Sea in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Sailor Moo: Cow at Sea