The cow tripped over the moon by Tony Wilson illustrated by Laura Wood

The cow tripped over the moon is short listed for the 2016 CBCA Early Childhood Picture book of the year.  I personally don't see it as the major prize winner but it will be fun to explore this book and others which follow a similar theme with our youngest students this term.

In this version the poor cow makes eight attempts at jumping over the moon.  The fiddle, dish, spoon and little dog all have a part to play not the least as a cheer squad.  You can see some of the pages on the illustrator web site.

"The whole group together
Said 'Cow, now or never!
We know that you'll make it this time.
And as of this night
We'll remember your flight
In a hay diddle-diddly rhyme."

Before reading The cow tripped over the moon you might revisit the actual rhyme :

Hey diddle diddle, the cat and the fiddle,
The cow jumped over the moon.
The little dog laughed to see such fun
And the dish ran away with the spoon!


Here is a simple video version.  Older children will laugh over this version by Michael Rosen from this wonderful book Hairy Tales and Nursery Crimes.

Following this you might compare this version by Tony Wilson with Over the Moon by Libby Hathorn, The Great Nursery Rhyme Disaster by David Conway, Hey Diddle Diddle by Kate Toms, The adventures of the dish and spoon by Mini Grey and a book with the same title The Cow jumped over the moon by Jeanne Willis.

Class teachers could also look at some Nursery Rhyme anthologies and the wonderful series of books called Urgency Emergency.