Moo Cow Kaboom!

by Thacher Hurd

When a Space Cowboy comes to earth and steals Moo Cow away from Farmer GeorgeÆs farm, she suddenly ends up in the center ring as the star attraction at the Inter-Galactic Rodeo with no idea as to how she will ever get back home.

Genres: Picture Books, Space, Childrens, Science Fiction, Juvenile, Storytime, Aliens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2003

About the author

Thacher grew up in a family of children's book artists, and after attending the California College of Arts and Crafts, he began to turn his talent to picture books. He is the award-winning author of Mama Don't Allow, Art Dog, and most recently Moo Cow Kaboom! He has also written two board books, Cat's Pajamas and Zoom City. Thacher and his wife, Olivia, live in Berkeley, California.

from Author Page

Reviews

[April Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book! My parents didn't like it all that much but I insisted they read it to me at least 5 times a day. My favorite was when my mom used an alien voice for Zork. I just laughed and laughed.

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moo Cow Kaboom is a science fiction story written for children between the ages of five and seven. The story takes place on a farm with a cow, named Moo Cow, chickens and Farmer George. Moo Cow was suddenly abducted by an alien named Zork! Zork kidnapped Moo Cow in hopes to make history at the intergalactic rodeo. Zork was the very first cowboy who would ride a wild cow from planet Earth. However, his plan doesn’t end up going as planned and Moo Cow ends up being thrown back into planet Earth!

This was a WOW book for me because it was a science fiction/mystery book that was written for young readers and listeners. I have found that outside of children's books that are series, it is quite hard to find science fiction/mystery books! Although it was a good read, I had a couple of questions about Moo Cow while reading. For example, why was Moo Cow chosen to go into space? Was it a dream of Moo Cow’s to go into space? Although these things were left out of the story, I believe it would be a great read for a book club. Additionally, I think it would be an awesome read aloud. Teachers could have students add to the beginning and end of the story and make it their own and share it with their partner! I am looking forward to sharing this story with my kindergarten team and seeing how we can have our students collaborate with this text!

[Reade · Rating 2 out of 5]

Moo Cow Kaboom is about a cow at a farm that is abducted by aliens from out of space. This cow is taken to be used in the space rodeo. The alien was riding moo cow and moo cow started to jump around to get the alien off her back. The alien fell off and they decided that moo cow was too dangerous for their rodeo. Moo cow was shipped back to her farm on earth.
3 book topic ideas
1.) This book has a lot of made up words that will make sense in the context. Teachers can have the students work on their reading skills and identifying those words.
2.) This book can be used to talk about farms and how animals, like cows, chickens and pigs are used on farms.
3.) This book could also be used to have students create funny words that they think aliens would use like the words that are used in the book.

[Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't understand why sometimes it seems like literally everything is published. I don't think publishing houses spend a long time looking at it, I don't think anyone expects it to go viral or sell millions of copies.

That's what this book is like. The characters are generic farm animals and a farmer. Nothing about it is really special or memorable. It doesn't do anything wrong. The pictures are nice. The story is short and doesn't really give the reader much.

It's fine.

[Emma House · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my favorite, I thought it was kind of strange and random. It is about a cow getting kidnapped and is placed in a space rodeo. Lot's of made up words. I thought the story was weird, but the illustrations were super cool!

[Carson Talley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story follows the unique cow Moo Cow who discovers a new talent of creating colorful explosions. Through this story Moo Cow learns about self discovery and learning to love herself for her new found talents.

[Mrs. Ruigrok · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a bit zany but young children might like it although I found it very busy and a bit confusing.

[Lucas · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not like!!

[Amanda]

His books are always fun to read,

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Moo Cow Kaboom! by Thacher Hurd is the science fiction tale of the abduction of Moo Cow by an alien Space Cowboy.

Abducted and whisked off to a galaxy far, far away, Moo Cow is forced to become the Wild Beast Earthling Moo Cow at the Intergalactic Rodeo.
When Zork tries to ride Moo Cow at the rodeo and calls her "LAZY, USELESS, UNCOOPERATIVE, UNINTELLIGENT EARTHLING MOO COW, Moo Cow doesn't like that and proceeds to whirl, twirl, dance, prance, bounce, boogie and buck high. The aliens decide that Moo Cow is too wild to be in their intergalactic rodeo and put her in a flying saucer and blast her into space. After wandering through space, she spies the familiar moon, bails out and lands back on Farmer George's farm.

The text employs a dark font and uses repetition and descriptive words.

The illustrations are cartoonish, cute and varied.

Normally anything sci-fi would be a top favorite. This story is funny but not quite my style, The illustrations and particularly the aliens are too cartoonish for my taste. You don't really learn anything about the aliens.

Science fiction fans will likely enjoy this intergalactic romp.

For ages 3 to 6, science fiction, cows, farms, space, rodeos, and fans of Thacher Hurd.

[Nell Adams · Rating 1 out of 5]

This author must have an extremely creative mind. This is about Moo Cow who gets cownapped and taken to planet 246. On this planet they have The Inter-Galactic Rodeo and Zork the Cowboy says he will ride the "Wild Moo Cow" from planet earth. When Zork tries to "ride" the cow, he does not move. But then Zork called him lazy, useless, uncooperative, unintelligent and this got him mad. So Moo Cow flung Zork all the way back to his farm and Moo Cow took the flying saucer back to space. The illustrations are detailed and inviting. They put the story together making it much more interesting. A teacher can use this when learning about space for young children, maybe about 3 or 3 years old. The teacher can teach about how cows and animals in general do not belong in space. Or it could just be a great book to be sitting in the reading corner.

[Lindsi · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is about a cow that gets “cownapped” by an alien and taken into space to be ridden in an intergalactic space rodeo. When the alien gets on her back she doesn’t do anything. The alien starts saying mean things about her and she starts dancing and sends that alien flying back to his farm. Then all the other aliens get scared and they send her away in a flying saucer. She pulls some levers and switches and finds her way back toward Earth. I thought this book was a little bit “out there”. This is definitely a book you would read just for fun with a group of children. It has some words that are changed while the cow is in outer space, so those would be fun to ask the children what they thought they were or should be. There are also a lot of sound effects that are written in that would be very fun to animate with the children and have them try it as well.

[Jessalyn Collins · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Moo Cow Kaboom!” is an odd science fiction children’s book. In this story, Moo Cow is abducted by an alien space cowboy. Moo Cow is raced off into a faraway galaxy and is forced to participate in an intergalactic rodeo. The pictures are very appealing to young readers, but I was not thoroughly impressed. However, this book may be an exciting read for children who are intrigued by aliens. They would be more entertained than I was by this story.

[Joanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another recent disappointment. We got a batch of books from the library comprised of new books (to us) of past favorite authors. We loved Hurd's 'Mama Don't Allow' and I was looking forward to this. Again maybe I built it up too much. Salo said it was ook and left as soon as we were done reading. I would be surprised if he asked me to read this again.

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

One night, while the pigs and chickens are sound asleep -- KABOOM! -- Farmer George's Moo Cow disappears! A low-down Space Cowboy has whisked her off to a galaxy far, far away. What's this sweet cow to do now, forced to become the Wild Beast Earthling Moo Cow at the Inter-Galactic Rodeo? Saddle up and get ready to ride Thacher Hurd's zany trip to Planet 246 and back!

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alien abduction on a dairy cow. Big shock.
Zork, the extra-terrestrial, takes her across the galaxy to his home planet and farm. There is the location in which he does the unspeakable acts before the other extra-terrestrials send the cow back home.
My five year old seemed to think the story was ok.

[Heidi-Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun story, but not good for a story time. Perhaps a lap-sit would work. It has a bit of a cartoon-style to it. The idea is fun, so younger ages could enjoy that. But some humor might not be gotten by them. Still a fun read.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

A funny book about a cow that gets taken away by a spaceship, and then comes back to land.

A nice way to talk about outerspace with no scary elements. Nice for an intro to a science lesson. Talk about non-ficiton.

[Dayna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zany and fun.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very intresting and far out book about a cow who gets cownapped by a alien cowboy and put in the inter-galatic rodeo. Very Science Fiction and not my style. But crazy enough to be intresting.

[Leland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! My cousin twice removed is Thacher Hurd! I havn't seen him in a while though...

[Ilana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know why, but the kids I babysit for LOVE this book.

[Miss Janis the Storytime Lady · Rating 2 out of 5]

eh, okay.