The Cow That Thought She Was a Dog

Autorentext

Tim Saunders farms sheep and beef near Palmerston North. He has written three children's picture books, The Tractor has a Wobbly Wheel, The Sheep that Stole the Farmer's Hat and The Cow that Thought She was a Dog. He's also written two adult non-fiction titles, This Farming Life and Under a Big Sky. He was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize in 2021 for his story 'Carved'; the only New Zealander to be shortlisted for this prestigious prize that year. He has had poetry and short stories published in Headland, Best Small Fictions, takahe, Landfall, Poetry NZ Yearbook, Broadsheet, RNZ and Flash Frontier. He won the 2018 MindFood Magazine Short Story Competition. He was joint winner of the Caselberg Trust International Poetry Prize in 2023. He performs poetry around the Manawatu and beyond.

Carla Martell majored in graphic design, illustration and animation at Wellington Polytechnic's School of Design (now Massey), followed by post-graduate study in animation at Melbourne's Swinburne Institute of Technology. She worked in the animation industry in Australia and the UK, and later completed a post-graduate Diploma in Multimedia Studies at Auckland University of Technology, specialising in moving image and multimedia production. In 2020 she illustrated her first children's book, Tulip & Doug (by Emma Wood, published by Scholastic NZ), and is currently working on her thirteenth book. Her recent collaboration with author Juliette MacIver, Duck Goes Meow, won Best Picture Book in the 2023 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. Carla currently lives in T maki Makaurau Auckland with her family and two silly cats.

Klappentext

Cow is confused - is she a dog, a chicken, a duck, a pig, a sheep, a horse, a cat, a goat, a rabbit or a sparrow?

She tries to work out which one she is, but nothing fits, nothing is right.

She's sad but her farmyard friends help her out because they know exactly who she is!

Perfect for:

• talking about finding your own identity
• children who love funny, silly stories
• reading aloud with little ones
• spotting the fun ideas in the illustrations that add to the story
• fans of animal stories
• fans of anything set on a farm
• anyone who loved The Tractor has a Wobbly Wheel and The Sheep that Stole the Farmer's Hat

PRAISE FOR THE TRACTOR HAS A WOBBLY WHEEL
SHORTLISTED: NZ BOOKLOVERS AWARD FOR BEST CHILDREN'S PICTURE BOOK 2026
BEST-SELLING DEBUT PICTURE BOOK OF 2025

'Rhymes, zany farm animals, tractors gone awry, onomatopoeia, drenched in primary colour and good production value mean that, for many, buying this book will be a no brainer. Perfect for fans of The Wonky Donkey, Little Blue Truck, or Grumpy Monkey.' The Sapling

'Perfect for 3 to 6 year olds who love animal antics and a bit of problem solving along the way.' School Reading List UK

'Wee ones will love the rhyme and repetition of this NZ story, that will be loved by young animal lovers everywhere.' What Book Next?

PRAISE FOR THE SHEEP THAT STOLE THE FARMER'S HAT
'Inventive, off-the-wall brilliance!' Armadillo Magazine

'Highly recommended.' School Reading List UK

'Will quickly become a favourite, one that invites laughter, participation, and repeated reading, with a final line that not only delivers a satisfying giggle but naturally opens the door to further conversation and curiosity beyond the last page.' Leanne Caune, Glam Adelaide

'These farm animals burst off the page in a riot of colour and fun that young ones will love. The rhythm and rhyme will bring smiles and giggles as these animals wreak havoc.' Adele Broadbent, What Book Next?

'With Carla Martell's hilarious illustrations of the farmer's clothes being put to unconventional uses and Tim Saunders' playful rhyming tale with repetition and silliness aplenty that reads well aloud, I suspect this will be requested over and over.' Red Reading Hub, UK