The Big Cowhuna

By Mike Litwin

When Chuck and Dakota find a magic seashell complete with a wish-granting genie inside, their first wish is for a never-ending supply of chocolate-covered bananas. But when Dakota wishes to become a REAL cow so he doesn't have to wear his cowmouflage anymore, things get messy and the residents of Bermooda mistake him as an imposter! The boys soon discover that the magic seashell is having some fun with them by creating panic and havoc across the island. Can Chuck and Dakota work together to get everything back to normal before all the cows go mad?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company
• Release date: Mar 1, 2015
• ISBN: 9780807587232

Mike Litwin

Mike Litwin is an award-winning illustrator who combines a variety of media to create scenes that serve the imagination and education of children. In other words, he's a big kid who gets paid to make pictures all day. It pretty much rocks. He is best known for his work on the New York Times best-selling picture books My Name is Not Isabella, My Name is Not Alexander, and Isabella: Girl on the Go.

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The Big Cowhuna

Written and illustrated by Mike Litwin

Albert Whitman & Company

Chicago, Illinois

for Kelly

CONTENTS

1. The Peaceful Day

2. The Impossible

3. Weird Things

4. Zephyr

5. A Real Change

6. Sheldon

7. Cow-a-Bunga

8. The Champ

9. The Real Wahu

10. The Search Party

11. Snow Problem

12. Déjà Moo

CH1

For hundreds of years, the secret, sunny island of Bermooda was a rather uneventful place. There were plenty of exciting and enjoyable moments, of course, but always in the name of progress or good fun. It was rare that the cows of Bermooda saw anything dangerous or out of the ordinary happen. Most things on this tiny tropical paradise were just as peaceful and predictable as the constant rolling of ocean waves upon the shore. But that was all before the days of Chuck and Dakota Porter.

Sure, lots of folks have talents. Some folks have a knack for swimming and sailing, some have a knack for baking coconut cheesecake, and some even have a knack for growing beautiful hibiscus flowers. In the case of Chuck and Dakota Porter … well, they had a knack for finding trouble, even in a place like Bermooda.

It had all started the day Chuck found Dakota washed up on a sandbar. Dakota was not a cow like Chuck. Nor was he a pig, a bird, a monkey, or any of the other animals that walked, talked, and lived on the island. Dakota was a hu’man, a savage creature everyone believed had been extinct for ages. No one on the island had ever seen a hu’man before, and no one seemed to know much about them, except for the legend about how they were nothing but monsters that ate cows and breathed fire. To keep the island from plunging into panic, Chuck dressed Dakota in cowmouflage—a cow costume to hide his real identity. Since Dakota had no home and no family, Chuck brought him home to the Porter House. Dakota was eventually adopted into the family, though no one had any clue he was really a hu’man.

Ever since then, life on Bermooda had become much more eventful. Chuck was a daring calf, and if he couldn’t find any excitement, he’d simply make some. This bold spirit constantly led him and his newly adopted brother into dangerous and thrilling situations. It seemed like every day was a new adventure.

Today, however, was not one of those days. Today was quiet and peaceful. No mysteries, no discoveries, no adventures of any kind. Just the crashing of waves, a warm breeze, and the gentle cawing of seagulls. As far as Dakota was concerned, it was the perfect way to spend a Saturday. Dakota was far less interested in adventure or excitement than Chuck. He would much rather spend the day lying in the thick grass under the tall trees, wearing a straw hat and filling up on delicious bananas. That is what they were doing on this Saturday in particular.

Pass me another banana, Dakota said.

This is the last one, Chuck said, tossing it to him. If you want more, you’ll have to climb another tree.

Dakota looked up at the trees towering over them. Bermooda’s banana trees stood nearly twenty feet tall. Clumps of yummy yellow bananas teased their eyes, dangling up out of reach. Bermooda’s cows were capable of doing many things that an average cow could not, but climbing trees was not one of them.

Ch1-BananaTreesfinal-Gray

However, Dakota was excellent at climbing trees since he had fingers and toes instead of hooves. His climbing was not quite as fast as a monkey’s, but it saved them the trouble of dragging out a ladder. But Dakota felt quite relaxed at the moment and was not in the mood to scramble back up and fetch any more bananas. Propping his back against a tree, he pulled his straw hat down over his eyes and folded his hands behind his head.

Meanwhile Chuck paced back and forth in the grass. I’m soooooo boooooored! he mooed. Aren’t you bored?

Nope, Dakota replied from under his hat.

Doesn’t it feel like something should happen? Chuck asked.

Nope, Dakota repeated.