(Steeplechase + BWF) Moo by Sharon Creech - 3 stars

[Ellen]

City kids Reena and Luke are anxious about the family move to Maine. All they've ever known is traffic, noise, subways and lots of people. How will they survive in a quiet coastal town with farms all around. A few days after they move into their new home, their mother volunteers Reena and Luke to help a mysterious neighbor named Mrs. Falala. She is elderly, a bit cantankerous and the owner of several animals: a pig, a cat, a parrot, a snake and last but not least, Zora the cow. The children are to tend to Zora's every need although the huge black and white cow does not seem to be all that friendly. After a few head butts from Zora that send them into the mud, Reena and Luke learn how to calm the massive cow and make steady progress. Mrs. Falala wants Zora to be entered into the country fair judging and the children have a lot to learn. With the help of some neighbors, Reena and Luke get a crash course in bovine care. As for Mrs. Falala, she has a hidden agenda.

This was a charming book from a children's author I have enjoyed several times in the past. It shows children that they can be open to new things and that persistence often pays off.