When I was a kid, my family had this collection of easy reader books that contained stories compiled of 50 or so beginning words. In the back of the book was the list of words that were used in the book to help a new reader see how many words they were able to read in that one story.
Author Leila Summers has taken a similar approach with her picture book, Coco The Mooing Horse, in which she has compiled a list of words compiled from a single, random phrase and created a story from that list. What follows is a positive, fun, and meaningful tale for kids based on that one phrase. Below is my review of Coco The Mooing Horse followed by an interview with Summers.
Coco the Mooing Horse plot summary
Coco is an old, gray horse who loves to moo like a cow. That mooing annoys the other barn animals, but this doesn’t deter him, and his moos eventually turn into singing. Having discovered a passion for singing, Coco decides to enter a talent show at a local inn. The other animals tease him, but Coco takes the stage, and, after a rough start, he shows the other animals what he can do.
The story
Coco The Mooing Horse is an adorable barnyard tale that encourages readers to be themselves. It’s hard not to listen to criticism, especially when it constantly surrounds you, but Coco has that unique quality in which what other people believe does not matter. He believes in himself, and he has his passions, and nothing is going to stop him.
The characters
Coco is the only character with an official name, a personality, and a sense of style. The other animals on the farm are background players. Their reaction to Coco varies.
There’s a rat companion who is rarely mentioned in the text but seems to be a silent support system for Coco as evidenced in the illustrations. When it comes to looking for moral support, sometimes showing up is more encouraging than any kind words you can muster.
The illustrations
The illustrations by Oleysa Burina are very eye-catching with comic strip-style animals and colorfully painted backgrounds. Summers’ limited vocabulary breeds creativity in her imagery, and Burina takes that a step further by adding detail to the story based on the invented prose.
For instance, Coco is said to wear a “retro hat and tie.” So, he is depicted with a red newsboy cap and matching knotted scarf.
The expressions on the other animals also help to tell the story. The mildly amused cows have big eyes and slight smiles as they listen to Coco’s mooing while chomping on flowers. The birds on the farm have closed eyes, signaling that they can’t be bothered with Coco’s foolishness. Their mouths are wide open as they laugh at Coco and his initial rocky start during his song, but those expressions turn to wide-eyed awe as Coco kills it onstage.
The writing style
The technique that Summers uses by taking full and partial anagrams of the phrase “common cold” and shaping it into a story is the perfect example of how limitations can inspire creativity instead of tramp on it. Not only is she able to craft a full, compelling story with this technique, but the technique also relates to the message of the story about a character who refuses to be bound by his physical limitations, and with enough believe in himself, he can create something new and interesting.
In the back of the book, Summers lists all of the words that she formed from the phrase and encourages young readers to do the same. There are even some lined pages in the back of the book for readers to write down their story directly following Summers’ story. It’s a great and encouraging invitation for children who already love to write or who love word puzzles and want to embark on the challenge of creating a story of their own.
My recommendation
I recommend Coco The Mooing Horse to school-age readers looking for a gentle, funny, and creative story featuring animals encountering very human problems. This book hits all of the right requirements for a compelling children’s book, and I can’t wait to see what Summers comes up with next.
My rating
An interview with Leila Summers
Your book was created using a technique that utilizes anagrams to tell a story. Can you go into more detail about this writing technique and how it doubles as a therapeutic technique?
I’ll certainly try! The anagram technique was something I learned from a Bulgarian psychologist named Alexey Buchev. He has a very unique approach to dealing with problems. He believes that by doing something totally out of the ordinary, something we would never normally do when approaching a particular problem, we can potentially change the outcome.
Doing something different when facing an issue can snap your brain out of handling it in the same, old usual way, opening up options for different results. The more fun and bizarre the new approach, the better, according to him. It should be something that makes you laugh.
For example, if you are worried about money, why not charge your wallet with your cellphone charger? The anagram technique in the Humorous Healing Anagrams series uses this theory. By taking the actual words related to a problem (for example, the name of an illness) and mixing up the letters in those words to form new words, we can write a fun story to approach a problem in a different way.
After reviewing your list of words, what was the first idea or sentence that came to mind to form this story?
In the three books I’ve written so far, it is the name of an animal that first jumps out at me.
In this first book, it was the word, “horse.” While scanning through the other words, I noticed the word, “moo” and thought to myself, “Why isn’t there a cow in here?” That’s when I got the idea that my horse will have to moo. And by using another word, “Coco,” the book became Coco the Mooing Horse, and so the story began.
How long did the story take to write? What was the editing process like?
The stories take quite a while to be honest. I have an idea and then it is important to use as many words from the list as possible, so I have to work hard at incorporating them while still trying to tell a good story. Luckily, I also have my father who is a great storyteller who helps me initially with some of the ideas. It then goes through several rounds of editing at which point I just need to let it go. I keep seeing other words that I could have added in!
What was it like working with illustrator Oleysa Burina? What instructions, if any, did you give, regarding the illustrations?
Oleysa was great to work with. I’d send her a very detailed description on what I envisioned for each illustration, and she was able to bring the thoughts in my head to life. She was happy to make any changes needed, but there weren’t many to be honest. She was amazing at understanding what I wanted.
Do you have a favorite page?
Well, that is a difficult question. I love so many of them, but if I had to choose just one, I’d have to say my favorite illustration is the page when Coco is sleeping in his nest of hay, snoring which makes his chin wobble and his nose shake.
What do you want readers to take away from the story itself?
There ended up being some beautiful lessons in this story, though there don’t need to be any for the anagram trick. Coco is a lovely example of someone who has an unusual talent, and he kept at it, practicing and believing in himself when others didn’t. In the end, Coco can teach us many things.
At the end of the book, you encourage readers to write their own anagram-based story. Have you gotten any stories back from your readers yet?
Not yet, as the book has only been published for a short while at this time. However, I’ve had lots of friends take on the challenge for themselves, writing anagram stories using the names of their own issues or illnesses. They all love this technique!
What’s next for you?
I’m working with an illustrator and editor on finalizing the second book, Mog and Tom, which will be launching soon. I’ll keep going with these books for as many children’s issues as I can think of. It’s a lot of fun and a challenge.
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Kids at my local community center would love this book. I leave stray books to be shared & adopted everywhere I go.
That’s such a good idea! Like finding money on the street but instead you find a story.
Well, I guess I wont be entering.. I have ten pages of things I beling to but Instagram isn’t one of the. I’ll check on Amazon if they have it. If they do I’ll order a copy.
Thanks anyway for reading! The author is looking for more Instagram followers, but any support is appreciated!
I love the cover and what a special title.
Thanks for reading! The cover is really eye-catching.