PreS-Gr 2 Despite the title that suggests dashing around, this book is a humorous bestiary of sorts, a handbook for a cross between zookeepers and farmers who look after imaginary hybrids of wild and domestic animals. Each spread depicts one fantastical beast such as "goatrilla" or "horsodile," followed by a brief description of their special traits and/or food preferences, like eating cans or running fast. The illustrations of the unique animals are charming and silly, sure to amuse readers, along with the absurd combination names. However, the shifts in font size and layout are somewhat more distracting than clever and do not add much to the overall effect. VERDICT Quirky but slight fare; Jack Prelutsky's Behold the Bold Umbrellaphant (2006) or Stardines Swim High Across the Sky: And Other Poems (2013, both Greenwillow) offer more substantial and punnier animal mash-ups. Yelena Alekseyeva-Popova, formerly at Chappaqua Library, NY

What, pray tell, is a zoomer? We meet a zookeeper-farmer hybrid who takes care of animal in-betweens, like the fast-swimming horsodile and the muddy but gloriously feathered pigcock. Kids will get a kick out of these animal mash-ups and the factoids offered for each. The text is playfully placed on the page, sometimes running vertically and other times filling the space with an extra-large font. Likewise, the endearing pen-and-ink illustrations make creative use of each creature's double-page spread and are rendered in muted tones. The quick facts about the animals occasionally lack the same degree of cleverness seen in the accompanying art. Even so, young readers will have fun identifying the two animals that make up each specimen. If the name isn't enough, they need only check the illustrations for clues, such as the duck and kangaroo evidenced in the duckaroo's webbed feet, high jumps, and egg pouch. The large-scale format and opportunities for participation make this a nice choice for a silly storytime.