"For I have learned to be content with whatever I have." Philippians 4:11 (New Revised Standard Version) Once upon a time, in a misty mountain village of Thailand, a barefoot boy lived with his father, mother, and five quarreling sisters-. So begins Cows in the House, a rollicking retelling of a folktale about a little barefoot boy who is going to go crazy if he has to live with his five fussing sisters for another minute. Fortunately, the barefoot boy's wise old grandfather knows a clever way to take care of the problem if only the boy can live through it! Will mooing, chewing cows in the house really do the trick? Beverly Lewis brings her delightful skill with words into play in this lighthearted romp with a valuable lesson about contentment, whimsically illustrated by Chi Chung. (c) Amazon.com

My son recently received this book as a gift so we've had the pleasure of reading it several times. It is written in the traditional legend style of folk tales. It depicts a young boy whose 5 sisters are driving him crazy with their arguing and noisy play. He seeks out the advice of his wise grandfather on how to fix the noisy problem of the sisters. The solution involves bringing all manner of beast into the house which makes the problem of the noisy sisters seem small in comparison to the chaos that now reigns. The illustrations are beautifully done and depict the rural home of the boy with realistic details. This book gives children (and adults too) a glimpse into a culture different than the typical North American one, but relays the message that people struggle with some of the same problems no matter where one lives, such as annoying siblings!! This is a great book; one that is different than the typical books on the market today.