This delightful tale, based on Tacreiter’s real-life experiences, shares the story of a special cow herd that inspired Tacreiter to establish The Cow Sanctuary—a New Jersey farm serving as a sanctuary for livestock. The book follows Helga, a farmer who adores cows of every shape and size, as she caretakes the calves on her farm and mourns their loss every year when they are taken away to be sold. One year, when a storm strikes the farm, a group of cows are injured when the tree they’re sheltered beneath is downed by lightning. Helga takes six orphaned calves under her wing, promising herself she will give them “extra kisses, hugs, songs, and treats.”The star of that herd turns out to be Harvey, a black calf who, after the storm, can’t seem to recuperate—his gait is off, and he can’t eat without help. Helga makes it her personal mission to nurse Harvey back to health, and her care is sweet to behold, as she hand feeds him, walks beside him to retrain his stride, and snuggles him into recovery. Young readers will treasure that close bond and cheer out loud when Harvey moos for the first time. Helga is soon motivated to “find a safe place” for Harvey and the other calves, launching her business idea to sew “cowches”—cow-shaped couches to fund her own farm. That takes off, and after a lot of hard work, Helga opens The Cow Sanctuary.
Denise Tremblay’s illustrations beautifully render the calves’ expressive eyes and playful antics, and the song refrain shared throughout—“Hey, hey, babies, I wish I could change the world"—transforms into a mantra for animal conservation by the book’s end. Tacreiter, with the help of PETA, closes with opportunities for readers to become animal stewards themselves, a fitting conclusion for this animal-friendly tale.
Takeaway: Conservation-minded tale of a farmer determined to save orphaned calves.
Comparable Titles: Jessica Stremer’s Lights Out, Zoe Tucker’s Greta and the Giants.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
