Book Review - The Fed-Up Cow

​Maria Dasic Todoric and Peta Lemon have crafted a delightful romp through an anthropomorphic barnyard. In “The Fed-Up Cow” Hilda (the titular cow) goes on a journey of self discovery. You see, Hilda is fed-up with being a cow. The grass isn’t just less green on her side of the fence, it is positively bland. So she sets out to be something else.
If this sounds like something you have heard before, well you have. It is a very common story line but Lemon and Todoric add something refreshing and rare. There is discontent in the book, that is the point, but there is no bitter resentment. Hilda wants to self explore and she does. The other animals do laugh at her attempts to change but there is no malice in it and she takes to umbrage at their natural reactions to the surprising. Simply put, Hilda does Hilda and lets all the other animals do what they do. It is as much an object lesson in loving both the conventional and the experimental as it is about finding your place in the world.
The art is fun and easy to enjoy. All of the farm animals are well drawn but colorfully simplified in a way that both children and adults can appreciate. The backgrounds are simple and tasteful. The color pallet is calming and logical.
All told it was delightful book that will please both children and adults. A parent might get good and tired of reading it “one more time” but otherwise this is a solid bedtime story