MOONSTRUCK

Choldenko's first book gives the lowdown on the cow who was heralded in the headlines of her time—e.g.,``Flying Bovine'' and ``Cow Shaped UFO Reported.'' The whole story of the famous flight comes straight from the horse's mouth—that is, the horse who coached her. He thinks the cow got the shaft in Mother Goose's record: ``One lousy line—not even a whole poem,'' says he, before telling it like it was: The cow kept hanging around the equine moon-jumping hopefuls, wormed her way in and started using their equipment, showed up for every practice, and kept her sights fixed firmly on the moon. She made the team—her name, Miss Cow, posted on the shortlist with the likes of Loco Motive and Trotting Travis. This very funny story sends up TV sports profiles; the horse's tough, gravelly voice puts a fine spin on this bovine interest piece as he focuses on the impossible odds, lofty dreams, and fierce dedication of the upstart athlete, finishing with a spirited play-by-play of the legendary jump. Yalowitz's colored pencil illustrations take the story and fly with it. Full of humorous details (the headlines, the lonely competitor awaiting practice time, the cow's crescent moon tattoo), the scenes capture the mood perfectly, especially the close-up of the cow blasting off and the aerial view with Earth far below. (Picture book. 4-8)