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Books for Kids

 Joshua received, as a gift, "Click, Clack, Moo," and I'm obsessed.

This is a 2000 picture book by Doreen Cronin, and it has been ranked among the 100 "Greatest Picture Books." (Whatever that means?)

Beverly Cleary has indicated that writing requires a simple, funny idea, and Doreen Cronin has listened. In "Click, Clack, Moo," some cows grab an old typewriter, buried in their barn. Once-inarticulate, the cows can now give voice to their own deep concerns. They write to their owner, Farmer Brown; they demand electric blankets for the cold nights.

Soon, the cows request blankets for the hens, as well. Like any oppressor--like Trump, in response to protests--the Farmer insists that the old order was "just fine." But he caves under pressure (striking farm animals). Brown will deliver the blankets if the cows return the typewriter. (A triumph of collective bargaining!)

A final twist: The guy carrying the typewriter back to Brown is a duck, and he has demands of his own. His pond is boring; it could use a diving board. Suddenly, the infernal typing resumes.

This book won a Caldecott Honor; I would have handed over the Medal. The electric blankets, the diving board, the alternating "clicks" and "moos"--This all reminds me that God is in the details.

Recommended reading. Five stars....
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