The Cow who climbed a Tree (爬樹的牛): 鼓勵孩子敢於夢想、實踐夢想的有趣的故事圖書

Author: Gemma Merino
Illustrator: Gemma Merino
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
ISBN-13: 978-1447214885
SumLook Rating: 10/10

The Cow who climbed a Tree (爬樹的牛) 是一本鼓勵孩子敢於夢想、實踐夢想的有趣的故事圖書。圖畫活潑可愛，故事有趣和令人意想不到。小朋友透過故事也可以學習不要讓常規思維限制自己，學習思想開明，也要敢於夢想並勇於嘗試新事物。

故事中， Tina 是一頭與別不同的奶牛，她喜歡研究事物，腦海裡載滿了異想天開的想法，當其他奶牛終日只在想吃草的事情時，她卻在想像乘火箭到月球！Tina的姊妹們每次聽到這些不切實際的想法時，都會異口同聲說：「不可能的！荒謬！胡說八道！」。

有一天，Tina 到樹林中散步，她看著一棵樹並下定決心嘗試做一件奶牛從未曾做過的事。她開始爬樹，並愈爬愈高！突然間，她抓住了奇怪的東西，抬頭一看，原來她抓住了一條龍的尾巴！與她在書中看到的凶殘的龍不一樣，這條龍很友善，而且更是一名素食主義者。他們談大家的夢想和故事並成為了好朋友。

Tina 急不及待地告訴姊妹們有關她的新朋友的事，但姊妹們仍是說：「不可能的！荒謬！胡說八道！」。

第二天早上，Tina 不見了！姊妹們看到了 Tina 說她要去學飛翔的紙條。姊妹們今次真的冒火了，Tina 胡鬧得太過份了！姊妹們決定要去把Tina 帶回家。

她們第一次走出農場，踏進樹林裡，她們發現了一片意想不到的美麗新世界，更看到了不可思議的事情，例如: 用兩條後腿跑步的豬。她們更做了自己不能相信的事情-她們開始爬上樹上！當她們抬起頭時，她們看到了讓她們驚訝的事情，Tina 真的在天上飛!早前見到的豬也在飛。而當Tina 問姊妹們想不想一起飛時，她第一次聽到與以往不同和令人驚訝的回覆，Tina的姊妹們異口同聲說：「好呀！為什麼不呢！」。
有興趣可按這連結看森綠的閱讀影片：https://youtu.be/4GCtOAUw7Kg

讀後感：
森綠媽媽很喜歡這個故事，森綠不但喜歡主角 Tina，也很欣賞她的姊妹們。Tina 勇於嘗試新事物、敢於實踐自己的夢想，她不害怕與衆不同，也不會因為其他人的言辭和目光而停止自己的夢想，而她不只是空想，她更有實際行動去實踐她的夢想，她會積極地觀察身邊的事物也會去學飛翔。而她的姊妹們在開始時，雖然都是一群只關心吃草的奶牛，對於其他事物漠不關心，也不接受新的想法和事物，也沒有什麼大夢想，但森綠媽媽很欣賞她們最後為了妹妹走出了自己的舒適圈，而且打破自己的固有思維而去接受新的挑戰，例如：她們開始爬樹，和當Tina問她們會否一起飛時，她們改變了以往的漠不關心，並說：「為什麼不呢？」，她們變得思想開明了！要學懂改變自己也是一個很大的勇氣。森綠媽媽也希望培養自己的孩子有追求和實踐自己夢想的勇氣、開明的思想和嘗試新挑戰的勇氣。

作為家長，森綠在讀完這故事後，也反思自己是否也像 Tina 的姊妹們一樣不太接受或冷漠對待孩子們一些異想天開的想法？自己是否也只懂用常規思維去看和限制孩子的世界呢？要知道孩子是屬於未來的世界，今天我們覺得荒謬的事情，在未來或許是可實踐的事情。作為家長，有時森綠也覺得自己要不停學習和改變思維。

以下是紀伯侖在《先知》一書中談孩子的一段節綠，在此分享：

請給予他們你的愛，
但不是你的思想；
因為他們有自己的思想。

你能為他們的身體提供住家，
卻不能為靈魂安排住宿，
他們的靈魂居住在(你無法理解的）明日之家。

希望你們也喜歡這本書和有所得益。同系列的書有 The Crocodile Who Didn't Like Water（不喜歡水的鱷魚），也是很好的圖書，請按這連結看森綠的介紹 https://kidsbooks.sumlook.com/2020/09/the-crocodile-who-didnt-like-water.html。

有興趣可到YOUTUBE 訂閱我們的頻道 https://www.youtube.com/user/Sumlook。謝謝。

如想得知森綠媽媽最新的童書推介，請到可以到以下的臉書link和like😊😊https://m.facebook.com/SumlookKidsBooks/ 

我也有寫blog 分享育兒心得，有興趣請到此網址 http://bb.sumlook.com 

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.Book Review in English~.~.~.~.~.~.

Author: Gemma Merino
Illustrator: Gemma Merino
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
ISBN-13: 978-1447214885
SumLook Rating: 10/10

The Cow who climbed a Tree is a story which encourages children to go for and take actions for their dreams. The illustraton is adorable and cute; and the story is so fun and is totally unexpected. Through the story, the children can learn to be open-minded and not to limit themselves with the conventional thinkings, and to be courageous to try new things and challenges.

In the story, there is a cow called Tina. She is very different from the other cows. Tina is always investigating things and matters around her; she has many incredible or ridiculous ideas that she even thinks about going to the moon with a rocket! As for the other cows and her sisters, they only care about fresh, juicy grass. Whenever Tina shares her ideas with the sisters, "Impossible! Ridiculous! Nonsense!" is all they will say.

One day, Tina was taking a walk in the wood. She saw a big tree and decided to do something a cow would never dream of doing! She started to climb the tree. Up and up she went and suddenly she grabbed on something. It was a dragon (from the story called "A crocodile who didn't like water")! This dragon is very different from the fierce dragons Tina read from the books; it was friendly and even a vegetarian. They became good friends.

After Tina went back home, she was telling her sisters about her new friend. Again her sisters were saying "Impossible! Ridiculous! Nonsense!", "Dragons don't exist!".

The next morning, Tina was nowhere to be seen. The sisters found Tina's note which said "Gone flying with a dragon". The sisters were mad as Tina's nonsense had gone too far. They decided to go and look for her to bring her home.

It was the first time the sisters left the farm and went into the wood. They never thought that it would be so beautiful! And they also saw a lot of strange things like a pig running on her hind legs! Then they started to do something they never thought they would. They started to climb the tree. Up and up they went. They were so amazed by the view they saw on the tree and what was even more unbelievable was that they saw Tina FLYING!!! And when Tina asked them to join, the sisters said something they had never said before "YES! WHY NOT!"

If you would like to learn more about the story, please click this link for my reading video: https://youtu.be/4GCtOAUw7Kg

SumLook's review:
SumLook really likes this story. I like not only the main character Tina but also her sisters. I like Tina because she is dare to be different and is courageous to chase after her dreams. She doesn't just dream about a dream, she also takes actions to go after her dreams like climbing up tree and learning how to fly. As for her sisters, thou they were rigid and inflexible in accepting new ideas, I really appreciate how they stepped out from their comfort zone to go into the wood to "rescue" their sister Tina. I also appreciate how they later reflected and became open-minded about new ideas and challenges that they were saying "YES! Why not?!" when Tina asked them to join the flying class. It also takes courage to change oneself.

After reading the story, as a parent, SumLook also reflects on myself that if I am like Tina's sister. I am thinking if I sometimes ban or discourage my childrens' crazy ideas, and if I limit my children with my own conventional thinking. I always remind myself that things or ideas which seem crazy today, can actually become true or possible in the future! And I should also keep on learning.
Below, I would like to share a part of Kahlil Gibran's writing on Children:

You may give them (children) your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

I hope you enjoy this book also. Of the same series, there is also a book called "The Crocodile Who Didn't Like Water" which is also a very good book.
you can click on this link to see my review https://kidsbooks.sumlook.com/2020/09/the-crocodile-who-didnt-like-water.html.

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