SUNDAY TIMES CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE WEEK
Selected for 2021’s National Poetry Day
Following a family move to Maine, twelve-year-old Reena has no idea what to expect.
She hopes it's going to be beaches, blueberries and all the lobster she can eat. She certainly doesn't expect to suddenly be put in charge of a menagerie of animals, belonging to the irascible Mrs Falala, who not only has a fast-wheeling pig, a secretive snake, but the most ornery cow she ever thought to meet.
A wonderfully funny, moving story of one family's move to the country, and the challenges they face.

Carnegie and Newbery medal-winner Creech has a magic touch. She writes simply and directly (in this novel, largely in blank
verse), yet her unshowy language is transporting and charged with emotion.... It's delightful and infused with understanding of how young and old might behave and feel.

* The Sunday Times *
Touches on themes of loss, friendship, and belonging in this appealing tale...fans of Love That Dog (2001) and Hate That Cat (2010) will find much to love in this story of a girl, a cow, and so much more.' * Kirkus Reviews *
Creech’s spare narrative creates vivid, emotion-packed images of landscapes, characters, and "that wild-eyed heifer," Zora, that will stay with readers.' * Publishers Weekly *
Creech offers a memorable family story featuring an especially difficult cow... A heartfelt tale that will be embraced by Creech's fans, work well as a classroom read-aloud, and find a spot in book groups. * School Library Journal *

Sharon Creech has written twenty-one books for young people and is published in over twenty languages. She has won numerous awards including the Carnegie Medal for Ruby Holler as well as the Newbery Medal for Walk Two Moons. Before beginning her writing career, Sharon taught English in England and Switzerland. She and her husband now live in Maine, near a farm where her teenage granddaugher raises sheep.