Book Descriptions
for Clarabelle by Cris Peterson and David Lundquist
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
Meet Clarabelle, a Holstein cow on the Norswiss family farm. As the title suggests, Clarabelle is a milking cow, but her role on this large, modern-day Wisconsin dairy farm goes beyond making milk, butter, cheese, and ice cream. Brothers Sam and Josh, whose parents and grandparents own the farm, give a visual tour of Clarabelle’s function on the farm. Crisp photographs show the hay-filled stall where Clarabelle lives and close-up images of the grains she eats. The photos also offer a look at less-familiar farm scenes—the high-tech milking center and the anaerobic digester system (which converts manure to electricity, fertilizer, and bedding). An appreciation for dairy production and dairy by-products is evoked by the clear text and informative captions that help explain the machinery and other workings of the farm. (Ages 6–10)
CCBC Choices 2008. © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2008. Used with permission.
From the Publisher
Everyone knows that cows produce milk but also electricity, fertilizer, and compost for animal stalls? Yes, cows produce these, too! A cow is an amazing organism that transforms foods such soybean meal into and corn into all sorts of other useful products. By featuring a single cow and her calf on a large Wisconsin dairy farm, Cris Peterson describes all the latest technology that enables farmers to create by-products from their herds. And yet none of the modern-day machinery matches the miracle of production that is the cow herself. Vibrant photographs by David Lundquist capture Clarabelle with her herdmates and her newborn calf as well as the family members of Norswiss Farm in this Ohio Farm Bureau Children's Literature Award winner."
Publisher description retrieved from Google Books.