• Age: 7 to 9
• Grade: 2 to 4

Audrey is a cow with poetry in her blood, who yearns for the greener pastures beyond Bittersweet Farms. But when Roy the horse tells this bovine dreamer that she is headed for Abbot's War, the slaughter house, Audrey knows that she must leave her home and friends sooner than she ever imagined. With the help of a whole crew of animals and humans alike, Audrey attempts to escape the farm she lives on--and certain death. Cleverly written as an oral account, this unique illustrated tale of an animal on the run, told "to camera", uses over thirty narrative voices, including six humans, four cows, three sheep, two sheep dogs, one pig and a very silly rooster. Full of heart and humor, Audrey (cow) is ultimately a very human story about life and death, friendship, and holding on to one's dreams--based more or less on a true story.

Dan Bar-el est un auteur à succès, un pédagogue et un conteur qui a publié des romans, des albums illustrés et des bandes dessinées. Depuis vingt et un ans, il travaille avec des enfants de trois à treize ans en tant que prestataire de services de garde et donne des cours de théâtre et d'écriture. Dan habite à Vancouver.

Dan Bar-el believes that the highest compliment a preschool child can pay is to call one silly. He carries the label with honor. "Preschool children have no patience for 'jokes,'" he says. "Ask one to tell you a knock-knock joke and, painfully, you'll see my point. But nothing gets a giggle like the absurd. Nothing is funnier than turning the rules on their heads." And that is exactly what Dan has done in his new book, in which each of twenty-six children is named for a child he has taught. The author of Things are Looking Up, Jack and Things are Looking Grimm, fill, Dan lives, writes and teac

Dan Bar-el's profile page

• Short-listed, Governor General’s Literary Award - Young People’s Literature - Text

Selected, Kirkus Review's list of Best Children Books, 2014
Selected, New York Public Library’s list of 100 Children’s Books for Reading and Sharing, 2014
Selected, Today's Parent's list of Top 10 Middle Grade Books, 2014
Starred in CCBC’S Best Books for Kids & Teens (2015)

PRAISE FOR Audrey (Cow):

"Move aside Wilbur and Babe. There's a new farmyard hero in town, and she has no desire to end up hamburger [...] Part Great Escape, part Hatchet, part Charlotte's Web, all wonderful." --Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews

"Thoroughly charming." --Starred Review, Publishers Weekly

"[P]urely delightful [...] At its heart, Audrey (Cow) encourages kids to think even as it entertains - the mark of wonderful children's literature." --Starred Review, Quill & Quire

"This is no simple farm story; it is a powerful tale that takes a philosophical stance against today's meat industry [...] A unique approach to a sensitive topic." --Starred Review, School Library Journal
“With so many unique characters and voices, the read-aloud possibilities, whether at home or in the classroom, are nearly endless. At times poignant and at others laugh out-loud funny, this insightful, touching story is a wonderful addition to any bookshelf.” --Canadian Children’s Book News