Audrey is a cow with poetry in her blood, who yearns for the greener pastures beyond Bittersweet Farms.
But when Roy the horse tells this bovine dreamer that she is headed for Abbot’s War, the slaughter house, Audrey knows that she must leave her home and friends sooner than she ever imagined.
Cleverly written as an oral account, this unique illustrated tale of an animal on the run, told “to camera”, uses over thirty narrative voices, including six humans, four cows, three sheep, two sheep dogs, one pig and a very silly rooster. Full of heart and humor, Audrey (cow) is ultimately a very human story about life and death, friendship, and holding on to one’s dreams – based more or less on a true story.
Shortlisted for:
- Governor General’s Award
- Rocky Mountain Book Award
- Red Cedar Book Award
- Ruth & Sylvia Schwartz Award
- Maine Student Book Award
Starred reviews in:
- Kirkus Review
- Publishers Weekly
- School Library Journal
- Quill & Quire
“Best of” Lists:
- Kirkus Best Children’s Book of 2014
- CBC Children’s Book Panel Selection for Winter 2014
- Kirkus Best Middle-Grade Science Fiction, Fantasy & Adventure 2014
- New York Public Library’s 100 Titles for Reading & Sharing 2014
- Today’s Parent Top 10 Middle Grade Books of 2014
- Kirkus Best Middle-Grade Books of 2014 for Readers Who Like Quirky
- Canadian Children’s Book Centre Summer Reading List 2015
- Amazon.ca Best Books of November for Children and Teens
FOLLOW THE AUDREY (COW) BLOG!
“First there was Wilbur the pig. Then there was Ivan the shopping mall gorilla. Now there’s Audrey the cow”
BookPage Children’s Top Pick, November 2014
“Part Great Escape, part Hatchet, part Charlotte’s Web, all wonderful.”
Kirkus Review, September 15, 2014
“Audrey (cow) is a not-to-be-missed book which treats themes of life and death and friendship in a manner both wise and light-hearted.”
CM Magazine, October 10, 2014
“Had you told me before I read it, that I would be enthralled by the journey of a cow, I might not have believed you – but oh how I now wish for a sequel.”
Pages Unbound, November 17, 2014
AUDREY (COW) IS NOW AVAILABLE IN SOFT COVER!
Dan Bar-el 