There are many books about animals making the wrong sound.
My first introduction to this “genre” occurred in Charleston, South Carolina where I began my public library career. My boss loved Cock-a-Doodle-Moo! by Bernard Most. Watching a forty-something-year-old bearded father “cock-a-doodle-mooing” at the top of his lungs is funny. When it’s your boss, it’s even funnier. The basic storyline is rooster wakes up with laryngitis and needs someone to awaken the farm animals. Cow tries to take the rooster’s place… “Mock-a-moodle-moo!” “Sock-a-noodle-moo!” And finally, “Cock-a-doodle-MOO!”
Children all over the world find animals making the wrong sound comical. The most recent arrival at the library proves this. Ribbit! is written by Rodrigo Folgueira and illustrated by Poly Bernantene. Both are from Argentina. The Spanish title for this book is Sapo de otro pozo and the pig says “!Croaca!” instead of “Ribbit!” I didn’t take Spanish so I am relying on Google Translate. I’m guessing the publisher thought the translation Toad out Water was too similar to A Fish Out of Water by Helen Palmer and illustrated by P. D. Eastman. I find it interesting the covers are different too.
Bonus Question – Who was Helen Palmer married too?
Click on A Fish Out of Water to find the answer.
I had no idea!
I love Cock-a-Doodle Moo! I also just read Bark George by Jules Feiffer at storytime this morning. That one always gets big laughs. I had no idea about Helen Palmer either!!
Read her Wikipedia article. No wonder Theodore Geisel used the pen name Dr. Seuss.
Oh, that’s sad! Kind of mars my view of Dr Seuss.