Audrey (cow)

Starred review from October 13, 2014
More than 30 voices, both animal and human, contribute to this cleverly constructed story of a cow bound, like her mother before her, for the abattoir (or “Abbot’s war” as the animals of Bittersweet Farm call it). Framing the story as a series of interviews, Bar-el (Nine Words Max) creates a humorous chorus of perspectives, temperaments, dialects, and cadences. A dreamer and a poet, Audrey refuses to accept that she’s headed “straight to the meat section of the supermarket” and becomes determined to flee the farm. With the help of her barnyard friends—including a clever dog, a “master strategist” pig, bickering geese, a pompous rooster, and a nosy horse—Audrey pulls off a comically orchestrated escape, aka “Operation Urgent Fury.” As a bumbling reporter and a wildlife enforcement officer follow her trail, Audrey relies on forest animals to elude capture and find her happy ending. Mai-Wyss’s (A Giraffe Did One) b&w watercolors bolster the lighthearted atmosphere of this thoroughly charming story of a cow determined to chart her own destiny, inspired by an actual incident. Ages 7–10. Author’s agent: Hilary McMahon, Westwood Creative Artists.

Starred review from September 15, 2014
Move aside Wilbur and Babe. There's a new farmyard hero in town, and she has no desire to end up hamburger. Audrey isn't like the other cows. They might accept their lot as "food cows," but she has other ideas. After her mother is taken away to a slaughterhouse, the feisty Charolais concocts an elaborate escape for herself using the expertise and help of her barnyard friends. However, the escape itself proves to be only half the battle, and Audrey's experiences in the wild forest with its unpredictable denizens put both brains and moxie to the test. In a multiple-perspective, documentary-like format, each animal tells its part of the story with terrific humor and personality. From pompous Charlton the rooster, who considers his role in the story a moment of deus ex machina ("as the Romans would call it"), to a parliament of consensus-minded sheep to a thoroughly prejudiced squirrel, the many voices make the book an ideal read-aloud for a classroom and ideal fodder for readers' theater. Bar-el is also unafraid to engage in truly lovely descriptive writing (one cow's grief over losing her son is said to be akin to "a mist like we'd get on gray, foggy mornings that made the farm seem as if it were fading away along its edges"). Part Great Escape, part Hatchet, part Charlotte's Web, all wonderful. (Animal fantasy. 8-12)

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Starred review from December 1, 2014

Gr 3-5-A courageous cow poet, a canine companion, an eavesdropping horse, an intelligent pig, and many more amazing animals call Bittersweet Farm their home. After a mother Charolais cow is taken away to "Abbot's War," her calf, Audrey, begins to ask questions of her fellow animal pals. Eventually, she discovers that "Abbot's War" is no cow paradise; it's a slaughterhouse. The poetic cow quickly puts her energy into finding a way to avoid the same fate. She attempts, but fails, to starve herself, learns how to jump a fence, and more. Ultimately, she is able to use the help, knowledge, and experience of her farm friends to achieve her goal. This is no simple farm story; it is a powerful tale that takes a philosophical stance against today's meat industry. Written in transcripts of interviews from the perspective of various animal and human characters, the book emphasizes the emotional reactions of those surrounding Audrey. These monologues give readers the opportunity to discern different perspectives about the same events. Readers must make conclusions and predictions about the events, weighing the relative reliability of the various narrators. A unique approach to a sensitive topic.-Mary-Brook J. Townsend, The McGillis School, Salt Lake City, UT

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