Starred Review Using a vintage spot-color printing technique, which employs three primary-color inks that overlap to create a broad spectrum of hues, Yoon brings a series of classic animal poems to life with wild, vibrant illustrations ranging from uproarious to serene. Laura E. Richards' "Eletelephony" appears next to a neat, bright, and sunny living room, but, echoing the jumbled syllables in the poem, a gatefold page opens to reveal a massive, blueish-purple elephant chaotically turning over furniture as it answers the phone. Yoon illuminates Walter de la Mare's "Dream Song," meanwhile, with a warm, paint-splattered sunset flanked by a shadowy forest and a saucer-eyed owl. Though a few of the poems, such as William Cowper's "The Snail," might be a challenge for some kids, the majority of selections are short, a little bit jokey, and a lot of fun to read out loud. The main attraction, of course, is Yoon's stunning, exuberant artwork. The riot of bright tones, abstract shapes, and tangled textures artfully combines to reveal stylized figures and lush backgrounds that both beautifully evoke the spirit of the verses and comically illustrate the sillier selections. Poetry classes would be well served by this superior piece of bookmaking.

K-Gr 4 Yoon's bold imagination is evidenced by her illustrations of these 16 animal-related poems by an eclectic group of writers including Lewis Carroll, D.H. Lawrence, and surrealist Robert Desnos. The verses vary from the nonsensical, such as Laura E. Richards's "Eletelephony," to the sublime, such as Walter de la Mare's "Dream Song." By combining printmaking, drawing, and digital techniques and relying upon three Pantone colors, Yoon has created a work of art, full of vibrant colors, striking patterns, and playful layouts. To capture William Blake's "The Tiger," for instance, Yoon uses a gatefold that reveals part of the tiger amid a background of wild forest ferns on each page, with the color scheme moving from greens to yellows, until the tiger's head emerges, ablaze like the sun. VERDICT An excellent, innovative approach to poetry. Teresa Pfeifer, The Springfield Renaissance School, Springfield, MA