Round 1: (1) Farmyard Beat vs. (16) Moo, Baa, La La La

Let's kick the tournament off with a real David and Goliath match-up.



(1) Farmyard Beat
by Lindsey Craig and Marc Brown
Available in board book, hardcover, and Kindle formats. (Amazon)

We're starting off with a doozy. As far as our house is concerned, this is the Phi Slamma Jamma of board books. It's got it all. Sweet rhymes, dancing animals, partying until you drop...the only way it could be better is if it taught kids about the joys of sticking it to the man and changing the status quo via shaking your booty in a barn.

Oh wait, it does.

Needless to say, if you time traveled here from May 13th and told me that this book won the whole thing, I would probably ask you for next week's Powerball numbers, and then tell you, yeah no duh. H. LOVES Farmyard Beat. All you have to do is start peeping like the little chicks in the barnyard and he starts dancing. It'll be a hard one to beat.

(16) Moo, Baa, La La La
by Sandra Boynton
Available in board book, hardcover, and Kindle formats. (Amazon)

As much as I hate to say it, Moo, Baa, La La La is basically unknown waters. I'm pretty sure we read this to H. right when we got it for Christmas this year, but, somehow, it just hasn't come up since then. Which is frankly kind of surprising, because he likes his other Sandra Boynton books a lot, and he does love a cow. I don't doubt that it's just due to getting drowned out in the sheer number of books he got for Christmas.

Match-up Analysis

The obvious choice would be to call this a cakewalk for Farmyard Beat. It's got the total package, and is a proven performer. But Moo, Baa, La La La has the benefit of being untested. The unfamiliarity could be a real draw, and give it the edge it needs to pull off a dark horse win. And there's a cow. Another cow. A different cow from the one Farmyard Beat has.

Prediction

Farmyard Beat in a farmyard heartbeat.

Results

It's the '83 Wolfpack all over again, because H. picked Moo, Baa, La La La without a moment's hesitation. Sorry for all your busted brackets!

Up Next

Moo, Baa, La La La will get its chance at a Cinderella streak, going up against the winner of tomorrow night's match-up between fellow Boynton book But Not The Hippopotamus and Cars and Trucks From A To Z on April 8th.