FOR MY FIRST CHILDREN'S book, I spent a September driving around New England to country fairs. I drew huge bulls, enormous pumpkins, and massive pies. I liked watching the oxen pulls. I spent a morning sketching a contest where men chopped logs with axes, barely missing their toes. I spent an afternoon drawing sheep as they were sheared (it took seconds). These are some of the things I put in the book.

What interested me may have been different from the reality: fairs are a sea of funnel cakes and fried food and spilled soda. When I came back to New York from my trips I went straight to the shower.

REVIEWS

Kirkus 6.15.97
"Cooper's first children's book creates a quirky, engaging look at the sights, sounds, and scents of a country fair . . . Pies are judged, corn is shucked, a blue ribbon gets eaten by the winning cow, and then everything gets cleaned up . . . For city children, for country children—fun." starred review

The Horn Book 10.97
"Moment by moment, item by item, Cooper catalogues a country fair, choosing details appealing in their specificity . . . The small size of this book and the quiet honesty of text and art indicate a book that will be shared one-on-one and frequently revisited by children who enjoy an amiable ramble."

Highly Commended, The 1998 Charlotte Zolotow Award

Published by:
Greenwillow (HarperCollins) 1997
ISBN 0-688-15531-6 $15