Wannabe Farms by Brian McCann (review)

None of the animals at Wannabe Farms are particularly content, and in five chapters of this rhyming easy reader, they make efforts (which mostly fail) toward better, more interesting lives. The cows try to engineer a car that will let them zoom off to adventures in the city; the chickens attempt to build a flat-screen TV; the pigs want to be human and so decide to go picnicking; the sheep take the shears in their own hands (er, hooves) to become barbers; and, in a more noble effort, the horses try to drum up some business for the old farm. The spectacular failures of these attempts end up bringing about some surprisingly pleasant and fulfilling results, and the book ends with the message that when things go wrong, other things can go right, and trying is usually worth it. Unfortunately, this point is often undercut by a narrative tone more mocking than celebratory, and even the animals' unintended successes are often described with condescension. The uneven rhythm makes this a difficult readaloud, but the direct text, short sentences, and generally goofy appeal will support transitioning readers, and the bug-eyed, exaggerated figures of the farm animals running amok bring some silly visual humor. Despite the book's flaws, the episodic chapters have inviting premises, and young readers may enjoy predicting the mischief of these barnyard buddies.