“Gordon (Herman and Rosie), whose animal comedy is in the same goofy-yet-expertly-composed vein as Betsy Lewin and Nadine Bernard Westcott, combines watercolor, crayons, and pencil with witty collage touches; in one scene, Nadine and her friends climb a tree made entirely of taped-together strips of green paper. Esbaum’s (I Hatched!) breezy verse lesson, which essentially boils down to “Fake it ’til you make it,” is a refreshing, down-to-earth twist on oft-seen picture-book moralizing.”

“The busy mixed-media illustrations playfully combine watercolours, pencils, crayons and collage to create hilarious pictures with surprising visual elements. With just a few lines, they manage to capture all the text’s nuances and the bragging bovine’s buoyancy. The cross-continental cooperation between American author Jill Esbaum and Australian illustrator Gus Gordon has resulted in an entertaining picture book about a heroine whose lack of modesty will endear her to readers of all ages.”

“Written in rhyme, Esbaum’s comical and suspenseful plot keeps readers interested. A mix of watercolor, pencil, crayon, and collage, Gordon’s spirited and delightful artwork is full of activity and gives Nadine a winsome personality. Readers will chuckle when Annette and Starla boost Nadine up to look in the bird’s nest and will laugh when they spot her swinging Tarzan-style from a tree. This story could spark discussions among children about their own fears and would be a worthy read-aloud.”

“This is a delightful, jaunty romp, and Esbaum’s rollicking, rhyming text is both lyrical (“She thundered through thickets,/ deep gullies,/ tight squeezes,/ and ragweed that triggered spectacular sneezes”) and funny (“‘Ta-da!’ Nadine sang. ‘Here I am, girls. Let’s go.’/ Were her friends waiting there where she’d left them? Um, no”). Gordon’s art is equally captivating, and the rich combination of water- color, pencil, crayon, and collage is pleasingly balanced by the simple rendering of the cow figures, with their rounded tummies, jutting hip bones, pink noses, and guileless, dot-eyed expressions. Nadine’s changing emotions are effectively captured in the positioning of her body, whether swinging gleefully on a vine or running, wild-eyed, through the brush. Pair this with a title from Stoeke’s Loopy Coop Hens series (BCCB 3/11, etc.) or with Steffensmeier’s Millie and the Big Rescue (BCCB 10/13) for a goofy storytime about hapless farm animals’”

“An udderly far-fetched story, this picture book stars intrepid bovine Nadine: “There was nothing she feared—so she claimed, anyhow.” Esbaum uses appealing rhythms and rhymes to tell of Nadine’s attempt to impress her friends Starla and Annette by entering the scary woods. “Her milk nearly curdled. / Doubt prickled her skin. / But what choice did she have? / Nadine gulped and stepped in.” She manages to reach the top of the tallest tree (by standing on her friends) and, once there, shouts out the title. But after her pals wander away, Nadine’s fright mounts as she worries about bears and feels a tickle on her rump that sends her, after a page turn or two, flying off a cliff. She then rescues her lost friends and is feted as a hero with a cake made of hay. Gordon’s illustrations, made from watercolors, crayons, pencils, and collage, are a combination of the refined and the scribble-scrabble. They make for a funny mix, just like Esbaum’s Nadine.”

“Award-winning author and illustrator of the fabulous Herman & Rosie, Gus Gordon, is back, this time partnering author Jill Esbaum, who lives on a farm and writes kids’ books. Nice work if you can get it. I Am Cow Hear Me Moo! is the story of reluctant hero Nadine the cow, told in Esbaum’s jingling, jangling verse and Gordon’s vibrating, alive-with-laughter illustrations. Nadine never tires of bragging to her farmyard friends about how brave she is, but when she finds herself alone at night in the forest, far from home, she may have to admit she’s a bit of a scaredy cow after all. Or does she?”

“Part of the joy of picture books is that anything goes. So instead of placid, cudchewing bovines, why not have adventurous, thrill-seeking ones? Nadine is a “truly remarkable cow. There was nothing she feared – so she claimed, anyhow’’. To prove her bravery to her friends, she ventures into the deepest darkest woods (even though her milk nearly curdles at the prospect). Gus Gordon has a fine sense of the ridiculous (cows propping each other up in trees to look at nests, for instance) and Jill Esbaum’s rhyming words are great to read out loud.”

“Kids will love this funny, action-packed tale (featuring a rather unnerving tail), and will giggle along at the dramatic climax and super-cute ending. Jill Esbaum’s rhyming humour is a treat and Gus Gordon’s priceless illustrations pack their usual heft, with much to ogle and enjoy, beautifully parlaying the text. I am reader, see me smile!”