The Cow Who Fell in the Canal

by Phyllis Krasilovsky, Peter Spier (Illustrator)

THIS IS A SPECIAL EDITION PRODUCED FOR NILSSON & LAMM, THE NETHERLANDS.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Fiction, Classics, Adventure, Literature

38 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1957

About the author

Best known for her picture books, although also the author of two young adult novels and numerous magazine and newspaper articles, some of them humorous. Krasilovsky's first two books were accepted for publication when she was nineteen and newly married. Both of them were written in response to real children. The Very Little Girl (1953) was originally a birthday card for her sister's child, and The Man Who Didn't Wash His Dishes (1950), a humorous cautionary tale illustrated by Barbara Cooney, was written for her husband's five- year-old cousin who was dying of leukemia. The Cow Who Fell in the Canal (1957), illustrated by Peter Spier, was inspired by an incident observed while bicycling through Holland. Other books were inspired by her four children and memories of her own childhood. She wrote four more Man books, and finally one about The Woman Who Saved Things (1993). One of Krasilovsky's favorite books was The Shy Little Girl (1970), based on one of her own daughters, and sensitively illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman. Her two young adult novels, The Popular Girls Club (1972) and L.C. Is the Greatest (1975), were based on her own experiences growing up in Brooklyn.

Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/phyllis-...

Reviews

[Esta]

a must read. incredible stuff. cow in a canal, with fields of tulips, iconic. I wish I were her. she lives her best life, sees the world.

[Theresa]

Hendricka spends all her days eating, winter and summer. Never seeing more than the farm. She longs to see the city that the farmer's horse tells her about. One day she falls into the canal, as this is set in The Netherlands, gets up on a raft and floats all the way to the city where she sees everything she heard about, and acquires a straw hat with ribbons.

This is illustrator Peter Spier's first children's book and it is charming and beautiful!

Here is a particularly lovely reading of it.
https://youtu.be/9vD4a_CG4bY?si=2deRG...

Steeplechase extra for farm though not enough farm tags to be official.

[Ward]

Wat een episch boek. Ik had de Nederlandse vertaling als kind en herkende nu alle illustraties nog. Nota bene was de koe vroeger mijn lievelingsdier, maar ik weet niet of dat voor of na het voorlezen van dit boek besloten werd. Hoe dan ook, blijkbaar is het dus een Engelstalig origineel. Ik had geen idee, maar Larissa kreeg deze bij de ABC. Zo lees je nog eens wat her, hè.

[Doria]

This remains one of my most treasured childhood reads, a delightful story of a Dutch cow with an acute case of wanderlust. The illustrations are charming and depict both the countryside of Holland as well as the city of Amsterdam in marvelous detail. The story is told in simple and straightforward fashion, and is satisfying to read, even 30 years later. Highly recommended for reading aloud!

[Nadine in NY Jones]

I have no idea what year I read this, but I was little, and it made an impression in me. I had questions:
* Is it common for cows to float down the canal?
* would this happen to me?
* would I like it or be scared?

I also loved this book and must've read it multiple times, since I still remember it.

[Polly Batchelor]

67/1001 1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up

[Klara Gonciarz]

how is it that children books are so utterly pure and charming and one could read on and on and on and only admire the beauty of illustrations, those in colour and those in black and white, as well. a lovable story of a Dutch cow who wanted to experience city life that is simply adorable.

[Emkoshka]

A very sweet little story about an unhappy cow who longs for nothing more than to see something other the countryside, She gets her wish when she falls in a canal and ends up floating into town. This book evoked the Dutch countryside and town life perfectly; they're exactly as I remember them from my many visits to Holland over the years. Charming!

[Ruby Reads]

Hendrika, the cow, spends her days eating grass and producing creamy white milk for Mr. Hofstra, who keeps encouraging her to eat more so she can produce more milk and make more cheese. She loves him and wants to please him, but she is unhappy. She longs for the wider world described by the horse, who tells her about cobblestone streets, bicycles, and cities full of people and movement.

One day, after overeating and growing too sleepy to return to her pasture, she drifts away on a raft through the canals. For the first time, she sees everything she dreamed about: tulips, windmills, children on bicycles, rows of houses with stair-stepped roofs, women scrubbing windows, market crowds, cheeses piled high. People notice her and start to follow, so she becomes part of the world rather than standing outside it. Eventually, Mr. Hofstra finds her and brings her safely home. There, Hendrika no longer minds her quiet life because “she had so much to think about.”

It feels strangely profound for a children’s book. Is it about complacency? Simplicity? The sadness of briefly touching the larger world before returning to ordinary life? Or is it about how one glimpse of beauty and adventure can enlarge a small existence?

I showed the cover to my grandson, and he dropped to the floor and looked at each page -- I told him a cow fell in a canal and had to be rescued, and I think he believed a big ship and some cranes would be involved. Either way, we brought it home, and the story and Dutch illustrations won me over.

[Sasha]

This was so very charming! Hendrika is a sweet-natured cow who, while obedient to a fault, also wants to explore the world beyond the windmill-filled pastures. One day, she falls into the canal, manages to perch on an abandoned raft, and gently drifts down to the city (I'm assuming Gouda?), where her chief goal is to satisfy her rampant curiosity about the taste of hats. I loved the alternating pages of black and white drawings and then splashes of vibrant color. The scenery took me back to 2013 when my Aunt Linda and Uncle Reinhard took me on a daytrip to Holland. The staircased roofs, market cheese wheels, and fields strewn with tulips and dredges were a lovely counterpart to Hendrika's antics.

[Francisca den Otter]

Al wandelend liep ik langs een kinderzwerfboek station en dit boek stond vooraan, niet netjes tussen de boeken. Ik heb dit boek in mijn jeugd zelf gehad, het viel op een gegeven moment van ellende uit elkaar van het vele voorlezen en doorbladeren. Ik nam het boek dus mee en ging er eens even voor zitten. Dit is inmiddels de 31e druk! Het verhaal is al heel oud, toen ik het boek in mijn jeugd had wist ik niet dat het origineel een Amerikaans boek was dat vertaald was naar het Nederlands. Het lijkt namelijk echt origineel Nederlands. Maar dit is natuurlijk te danken aan de fraaie illustraties van Peter Spier die uit Broek in Waterland komt. Het is het verhaal van een koe die haar weide zat is en onverwacht op avontuur gaat. Na haar avontuur is ze meer dan tevreden met haar wei.

[Maggie Hesseling]

This by far hasn't been the first time I've read The Cow Who Fell in the Canal, but I recently realised I hadn't added it to Goodreads and so it demanded a reread.

What a lovely children's book! The story of Henrietta and her adventure has always been a personal favourite, and now I get to share it with all the kids my friends are having when they get old enough to read it. And with the great illustrations of Peter Spier it's a must-have.

It may not have been written by a Dutch, but the story is so typical of the Netherlands, you can't help but count it among the great Dutch Children's picture books available.

[Abi Reynolds]

I remember reading this as a child, and it added to my desire to travel to places where cows were moved by barges. An event later in life when I was 15 recalled the book to memory and even now, the story brings a smile to my face.

It is a well written book with illustrations that complement the writing and bring to mind, how Holland and Amsterdamm looked, and to a certain degree still look like.

[Kendall Evilcizer]

This book is very interesting and has great illustrations that go along and follow what the story is about. Also, this book would be great to use with younger students, it shows adventure and getting out of your comfort zone. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone. Great and rich language values.

[Kristal]

Read on the internet archives

So, I am biased- I married a dutch man and have been assimilated quite a bit into the Dutch-Canadian community. This picture book is awesomely stereotypical in the best ways. I know people with the last names mentioned in this book, and many dairy farmers. I will definitely be promoting this.

[Natasha]

This is the kind of dull story you come up with when you’re sleep deprived af and completely unimaginative but still have to think up some kind of tale because you walked yourself into it by choosing to distract your child with the good ol enticing line of “I have a story for you! once upon a time …”

[Rebeka]

Loved this book as a kid about a cow who fails in a canal in Holland. My favourite part about the book is the contrast of two pages in colour and then two pages in black and white. Was so happy today when I found it on my bookshelf when I had thought I had lost it.

[Stacy Renee (LazyDayLit)]

Children's Picture Books

The Cow Who Fell In the Canal by Phyllis Krasilovsky is a somewhat silly little book about a beloved cow that fell in a canal and had to be helped out!


Read with my kiddo from the '1001 Children's Books to Read Before You Grow Up' list.

[Seema Rao]

Like a 17th century Dutch landscape came alive (if illustrated by Peter Speir), and only of those bucolic cows went nuts. Cute book.

[Alexandria Baker]

This book teaches a lesson about wondering off and also adds a lovely twist where everyone loves seeing the cow.

[Mica Grinspan]

So cute :)

[Karen]

A cute story on adventure with great illustrations.

[Kari]

Going through more boxes in my basement and came across this…One of my all-time favorite childhood books💜

[Cindy aka "The Book Fairy"]

sweet little tale!

[Awjtf]

Interesting story

[Kate]

5 stars because it's a fantastic tale and my grandad used to read it to me in the late 70s, early 80s.

[Ethan Washington]

"Stop, Hendrika! The canal is no place for a cow. Oh, Oh! Too late! What a silly cow! What a funny adventure!"

[Francine]

Cute! There's lots to see in the illustrations.

[Debra Diggs]

An adorable children's book.

[Becky B]

Hendrika the cow is bored with just standing in the pasture and eating. She hears about the town from the horse, and dreams about visiting and tasting one of the colorful straw hats the men at market wear. One day, she falls into the canal as she eats, manages to get herself on a raft, floats into town and has a grand adventure.

A funny story that sounds like it could have been inspired by a real story. I liked the setting in Holland and the picture the book gives of life there a few decades ago. Even though the illustration style is a little bit dated, I think the silliness of the tale will still keep modern kids entertained.