How now, Brown Cow is a book of poetry that is told through the cows point of view of living on a farm. very cute. ( )

How Now, Brown Cow? is a book of short poems by Alice Schertle. Some of her poems such as The Cow and Drivin' the Cows are from the perspectives of an outsider, possibly a child or a farmer. Other pieces such as The Cow's Complaint and The Bull explore what the animal may be thinking. This collection includes 15 poems accompanied by paintings from Amanda Schaffer.

I have to admit that the poetry itself is not my favorite. I did, however, enjoy how the illustrations coincide with each poem. The illustrations for The Cow's Complaint is humorous because it shows the cow straining and stretching her tongue to get a taste of the greener grass. The illustration for Drivin' the Cows is also funny because of the literal image.

In the classroom I would first show the students each illustration and discuss topics the preceding poem may be about. This would emphasize the importance of illustrations and how they add to the plot, establish a setting, and can sometimes tell a story all on their own. The students could also try their hand and write a short poem that may reflect their own experiences. In a younger class the students can hear the poem and draw a picture of what they imaging the poem to be about.