I Don't Get Packages of Stuff that Comes to Call Attention to Books...but I Found this One Rather Mooo-velous

Conference calls are dangerous, especially when you find yourself not actively involved in the conversation. Today we were on a phone call and it became more about multi-store operations. Well, of course you know I only have one store, and hearing about all the intricacies of multi-store could either make me sad (both because Schwartz closed and today there was an announcement that Joseph-Beth declared bankruptcy and is closing several more stores, including the beloved Davis Kidd store in Nashville. Stores staying open include the flagships Lexington and Cincinnati, plus Cleveland Clinic, Memphis, and one in Virginia in a town I never heard of) or I could open my package from Workman promoting Sandra Boynton's Amazing Cows.

Now I'm not a huge fan of silly stuff packed in boxes with galleys. I find myself unable to fit into the flip flops packaged with this year's beach read, and many (if not most) of the times, the food packaged with the delicious new novel (or perhaps it's food lit) is past its expiration date or crushed or both. Yes, that has happened. And sometimes we're lucky to get on a distribution list, but we are simply not the target market for this particular promotion.

But I am so happy to get the Boynton package. We took the door hanger and put it in on our backroom door. Sure enough, Beverly moooed as she entered to leave for the day. Then we played our moo noisemaker and everybody laughed. Then Jason started reading me pieces from the books, and showing me the cow-decorating magazine advertisement. And that's when we knew we needed to up our opening order. Amie, this is what happens when you take a day off--we start playing with the kids section!

Sadly, I don't yet have the recording for Bessie Holstein singing "It Had to be Moo." But apparently you can download or purchase "Bolero Completely Unraveled" by Sandra Boynton and the Highly Irritating Orchesra, a 300-kazoo recording that lasts 17 minutes and 41 seconds. "It just feels like longer."