Metropolitan Cow
Written and illustrated by: Tim Egan
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company in NY in 1996
ISBN: 0-395-73096-1
Genre: Picture Book
Written and illustrated by: Tim Egan
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company in NY in 1996
ISBN: 0-395-73096-1
Genre: Picture Book
Award: Parent's Choice Gold Award
Reading Level: Grade 4
Activity Level: Grade 2
Summary: This is a book about a cow, who has just moved to the city, becoming friends with a pig who loves to roll around in the mud. The cow's parents tell him he is much too dignified to roll in the mud like the pig, but the young calf does not totally understand this. Even though the two families become somewhat at odds, they reunite and become friends after Bennet (the cow) runs away after being scolded for getting into the mud and his friends, Webster (The pig), helps find him. This is such a cute story for young readers and students in the lower elementary grades to jump into exploring commonalities and differences between their classmates and themselves.
Response: I really liked the story of this book. I think that having the story be about a cow and a pig was a good idea because it makes the book seem less explicit in its teaching methods. I think implicit ways of teaching students things works much better because it, in this case, is a lesson presented to them in story format, which they are much more likely to remember in the future.
The illustrations in this work are very different. Every illustration, except for the first and last ones, are 1.5 page spreads and then text is located on the white-space on the left side of the left page. The colors are very muted and most of the pigs and cows look alike, but their clothing distinguishes them. I think that these illustrations, though good, would be VERY confusing to a child. The cows and the pigs in this book are both pink and I would be afraid, even with the title of the book, that children would think all the characters were pigs, so I believed that part of the story's point was to get children to not rely on the pictures, which would have been a great idea, but, in reality, it was just the illustrator's choice of colors that makes the illustrations slightly confusing for readers.
Teaching Connections: This book could easily be used with a second grade class to teach about everyone's differences. After the teacher reads this book to her students, they will each be given a Bingo sheet/piece of paper that will have a commonality or dissimilarity between them an others on it. For example, one space might say same eye color and another might say different hobby. The teacher would go over each of the squares on the paper and then have students find others with either a similarity or difference, as the square says, between them and another person and then write that person's name in that square. The first person to get their whole card filled up (they would be playing full-card Bingo) would win a piece of candy or a homework pass, etc.
This book could also be used with this age group to greatly increase their vocabulary. This book could be read to them on a Monday and then the students could fill out their vocabulary sheet that day after the teacher talks about words such as: metropolitan, fortunate, prominent, socialites, and dignified. The teacher could have a review of these words each class day and then give the students a test or quiz on these words at the end of the week.
What Students Learn: From this book and this activity students learn to be accepting of one another despite everyone's differences and also gain much vocabulary. The activity would also help them get to know their peers at the beginning of the school year and would help increase their social skills.
Image Retrieved From: http://www.thebestkidsbooksite.com/reading/mbookpict/metrocow.jpg
Reading Level: Grade 4
Activity Level: Grade 2
Summary: This is a book about a cow, who has just moved to the city, becoming friends with a pig who loves to roll around in the mud. The cow's parents tell him he is much too dignified to roll in the mud like the pig, but the young calf does not totally understand this. Even though the two families become somewhat at odds, they reunite and become friends after Bennet (the cow) runs away after being scolded for getting into the mud and his friends, Webster (The pig), helps find him. This is such a cute story for young readers and students in the lower elementary grades to jump into exploring commonalities and differences between their classmates and themselves.
Response: I really liked the story of this book. I think that having the story be about a cow and a pig was a good idea because it makes the book seem less explicit in its teaching methods. I think implicit ways of teaching students things works much better because it, in this case, is a lesson presented to them in story format, which they are much more likely to remember in the future.
The illustrations in this work are very different. Every illustration, except for the first and last ones, are 1.5 page spreads and then text is located on the white-space on the left side of the left page. The colors are very muted and most of the pigs and cows look alike, but their clothing distinguishes them. I think that these illustrations, though good, would be VERY confusing to a child. The cows and the pigs in this book are both pink and I would be afraid, even with the title of the book, that children would think all the characters were pigs, so I believed that part of the story's point was to get children to not rely on the pictures, which would have been a great idea, but, in reality, it was just the illustrator's choice of colors that makes the illustrations slightly confusing for readers.
Teaching Connections: This book could easily be used with a second grade class to teach about everyone's differences. After the teacher reads this book to her students, they will each be given a Bingo sheet/piece of paper that will have a commonality or dissimilarity between them an others on it. For example, one space might say same eye color and another might say different hobby. The teacher would go over each of the squares on the paper and then have students find others with either a similarity or difference, as the square says, between them and another person and then write that person's name in that square. The first person to get their whole card filled up (they would be playing full-card Bingo) would win a piece of candy or a homework pass, etc.
This book could also be used with this age group to greatly increase their vocabulary. This book could be read to them on a Monday and then the students could fill out their vocabulary sheet that day after the teacher talks about words such as: metropolitan, fortunate, prominent, socialites, and dignified. The teacher could have a review of these words each class day and then give the students a test or quiz on these words at the end of the week.
What Students Learn: From this book and this activity students learn to be accepting of one another despite everyone's differences and also gain much vocabulary. The activity would also help them get to know their peers at the beginning of the school year and would help increase their social skills.
Image Retrieved From: http://www.thebestkidsbooksite.com/reading/mbookpict/metrocow.jpg
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