There’s a Cow in the Cabbage Patch

Stella Blackstone and Clare Beaton
All the animals in this mixed-up farmyard are out of place. What shall we do? ask the farmer’s children and, of course, there’s an easy answer. Collage art in felt, stitched with antique fabrics, buttons, and other bric-a-brac, perfectly illustrates the playful text.
This is the story of a group of farm animals who have all gone somewhere they shouldn’t! The farmer and his wife are wondering how they are going to get them all home again.
Both my girls (aged 3 ½ and 17mths) really enjoy this story. It is simple, and the repetition of parts of the dialogue mean my older one can join in from memory whilst her little sister is engaged in trying to make the relevant animal noises for each page – the donkey is her current favourite! It has generated much discussion about not just animal noises, but what they eat, where they live and what they need to be happy.
The children love the pictures, each page is a picture and the text is written on the top. As a parent I love the pictures as they are so creative; they have been made from sewn felt and then photographed. It makes it a bit different from any other picture book we have.
On top of all this it has a great little ending that makes Mummy chuckle!
Verdict: A lovely book to share and enjoy over and over again!
Reviewed by Helen