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Awards/Reviews/Readers Comments
Book Sense 76 Pick
CCBC Choices 2004
ForeWord Book of the Year Finalist
Betty Ren Wright Children's Book of the Year
“Beautiful illustrations-humorous, busy, matte-surfaced, revealing
the canvas texture of the original acrylic paintings-highlight this
twisting account of a farmer’s attempt to get a good night’s sleep.
Before he can nod off, the young goats start bleating after having
been left out. When farmer Felandro goes out to pen them up, he
accidentally wakes the dogs, which wait until he returns to bed to
begin howling. Each attempt to get some peace and quiet creates
another reason for noise, providing children with a series of
pleasurable instances of repetition and predictability. Besides the
humor provoked by Felandro’s grumbling, children will also enjoy the
way he continually confuses tomorrow’s tasks as he tries to settle
down-does he milk the cow or the silo? Does he mow the hay or
the fence? Both Spanish and English texts flow smoothly and may
even introduce a few unfamiliar farm terms to some readers.
Midgett’s illustrations are reminiscent of Joe Cepeda’s rowdy, good-
humored style and serve to prove useful at story time and in farm
units for primary-grade students.”
Kirkus Reviews
"PreS-Gr. 2—Poor farmer Felandro is in dire need of a good night’s
rest and is all too aware that, “Morning comes early.” But sleep is
not in the cards for the hapless farmer, who is awakened again and
again by his animals needing to be let out of the barns, taken into
barns, put in pens, shut in stalls, etc. Just when he gets one group
down, another goes off, until finally morning has come and he can
get up. Students will be amused as the poor farmer lists off his
chores for the next day in a more and more garbled form. What
starts out as “…milk the cows, repair the fence, mow the hay, and
climb the silo” ends up: “…repair the cow, climb the fence, milk the
hay, and mow the silo.” The acrylic illustrations are charmingly
blocky, done in warm earth-toned colors and comfortingly round
shapes. The Spanish translation, located on the bottom half of
each page and separated from the English by an inset drawing, is
clear, crisp, and maintains the humor of the English original. Pair
this book with Doreen Cronin’s Click, Clack, Moo (S & S, 2000) for a
barnyard-themed storytime featuring strong-willed animals."
School Library Journal
“Oh, Crumps!/¡Ay, caramba! by Lee Bock is a thoroughly “kid
friendly”, English/Spanish bilingual picture book, about a tired
farmer with an endless list of chores to do-and who becomes
sleeper and sleeper as he works into the night. A friendly story
illustrated by Morgan Midgett in whimsical color, Oh, Crumps!/¡Ay,
caramba! is ideal for sharing with young ones right before bedtime
and a very strongly recommended addition to school and
community bilingual picture book collections for young readers ages
4 to 8.”
Midwest Book Review
““Oh, Crumps!/¡Ay Caramba!” is a funny farm tale that will keep the read-to-me
bunch laughing until the cows come home. It’s really two books in one, with both
the English and the Spanish translations on the same page so that bilingual
wannabes can learn another language while enjoying the story. Colorful cartoon-
like illustrations add to the charm. A glossary of English and Spanish words used
in the story is provided as well. Here’s an excellent addition to any pre-school
library book shelf.”
Fearless Books
“…This story is a sequence of noise, lack of sleep, and chores. The
illustrations allow one to feel the fatigue and confusion the old
farmer is feeling each time he snuggles back to bed. The pictures
demonstrate the mixed-up events that the farmer is imagining for
the next day. The farmer, in blue overalls and red shirt, is sitting on
a small wooden stool with a pail of milk in front of a fence painted
black and white like a cow, as if he is milking the fence!
Appropriate for children ages four to eight, this is a laugh-out-loud
story. The illustrator [Midgett] uses acrylics well to capture the
images of the words. ¡Ay, Caramba! (Oh, Crumps!) would be a
first-rate addition to any collection; it includes a vocabulary list
to encourage language exploration.”
ForeWord Magazine
“This cheerful cumulative tale begins when Farmer Felandro decides
to go to bed early with a to-do list for the following day…The
humorous story is clever and the repetition will appeal to children.
The book has a glossary in English and Spanish. The illustrations,
like the story, are jubilant and charming. They complement the text
perfectly, as they are full of emotion. The bilingual format for this
book works well. A great addition to any library collection.”
Críticas
“My students love this book! The comic misadventures of a sleepy farmer are told
with a wonderfully fresh use of repetition similar to the antics in the classic story,
THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT. Animal sounds and inventive descriptive language
will enchant children and adults, making this PERFECT for reading aloud. The
hilarious illustrations compliment the text to a tee, keeping the story straight,
even if Farmer Felandro can't. Here's a fun book to share aloud with children 5 to 8.”
Hedgehog Books
“I brought home [Oh, Crumps! / ¡Ay, caramba!] and read it to my kids over the
last few days. Nathan (my 6-year-old son) has never laughed so hard at a book.
He thought it was the funniest thing he ever heard! Thanks again.”
Ted Kranick, Green Bay
“This story [Oh, Crumps! / ¡Ay, caramba!] is a unique combination
between illustrations and agricultural life. The humorous approach
and style is one that will hold young children, even old children’s,
attention. Oh, Crumps! sets the stage for some excellent classroom
discussions concerning agriculture. Great job. Fun story!”
Jim Krahn/Former Director, Oregon Dairy Farmers Association
“Lee’s [Bock] delightful romp through a farmer’s night of sleep interrupted by
animal antics is already at the top of my granddaughter’s “Do it again!” list. As a
storyteller, I’ve found the repetition, the mix-ups, and the opportunity for the
audience to participate by making the animal noises are all sure-fire crowd pleasers!”
Karen Kersten “The Story Hat” retired librarian and freelance professional storyteller
“This excellent book [Oh, Crumps! / ¡Ay, caramba!] truly demonstrates real life of
a dairy farmer. The book entertained this ‘ole veterinarian. The pictures
compliment the exciting text. This is a must read for all kids, young and old.”
Andrew P. Johnson, DVM, “The Udder Doctor,” President, Total Herd Management Services, Inc.
“The misadventures of granjero Felandro, a busy farmer who can’t sleep because of his
strong-willed animals, are cheerfully depicted in this book, with the English text on
the bottom half of the page. Full-page illustrations complement the lighthearted story…”
Isabel Schon for Booklist
“… Each page of this colorfully illustrated book contains English text as well as
the Spanish translation…Oh, Crumps! is a funny book as well as educational. A
book you and your child can enjoy together…”
Ashley News—Book Talk
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