Grady's in the Silo

Rating:
Summary: Bovine Bliss
Review: Children love hearing outlandish tales of animals especially if they are true! My daughter thinks Grady is great and so we have given this book to several of her friends and it has become their favorite story at the moment too. The illustrations are so cute and the way the tale is written will keep anyone interested. Definite winner!

Rating:
Summary: Bob Artley's playful color illustrations add a special touch
Review: Grady's In The Silo is a colorful story by Una Belle Townsend about a 1,200-pound cow named Grady who becomes stuck inside a large, gray silo. How is she to get out? A variety of people put their heads together but their best efforts seem ineffective, until a reporter from Denver saves the day with sharp thinking and extra grease. Bob Artley's playful color illustrations add a special touch to this delightful and entertaining picture book for children.

Rating:
Summary: A good book--but not the first version!
Review: This is not the first children's book based on this true story--although Pelican Press likes to advertise it as such. The book, The Cow In The Silo: Grady's Funny Adventure, by Patricia Goodell, was published as a Little Wonder Book in 1950 and was very popular. It was a favorite of mine and now sells for $50 or so in collectors sites. That version might be a fun purchase for those who remember the original incident. This new version by Ms. Townsend is also good, more detailed and far less expensive! The story stands the test of time and the new illustrations, while not as nostalgic to me, are eye-catching for children. A great way to use it is as my mother did in 1950--ask the children for suggestions, then to think of similar things to solve problems about--often eliciting humorous, fiendish and even surprisingly logical solutions. This is a worthwhile children's book about real life--in a setting that is unknown to many urban youngters.

Rating:
Summary: Hooray! Someone finally wrote the book
Review: What a wonderful book! Illustrations are colorful and real. My sisters, brother and I grew up in Yukon, OK, hearing this true story first hand. I was 7 years old and remember when it hapened. We have passed this story along to our children and grandchildren and are delighted that a book has finally been published. A delight to read, no matter if you are 3 or 83.