Everyone appreciates the lion's splendor and the zebra's stripes, but what about some of their lesser-known peers? The, well, less impressive creatures? In jaunty, boisterous rhyme, this picture book offers five overlooked African animals their time in the sun. Without a trace of shame, the five proudly introduce themselves, embracing their "ugly" features. First up is the wildebeest ("My ungainly appearance is second to none"), followed by the hyena ("Who could be uglier? Who could look meaner?"), the lappet-faced vulture ("My beak is gigantic, and, what's more, I stink"), and the warthog ("People are shocked by my deafening snorts"). The marabou stork rounds things out ("My legs, long and skinny, are covered in poo, / And I'll eat almost anything, even a shoe") as the five happily parade through the plains until a surprise ending reaffirms their worth. Color portraits showcase each animal's best attributes (despite their statements, some are almost cuddly), and a final double-page spread introduces other animals from the same habitat. Science-light, but a nice message about the eye of the beholder.

This picture-book African safari introduces five lesser-known, "strange-looking" specimens (e.g., wildebeest, hyena). The patterned rhyming text lets the animals speak for themselves; each one describes its unusual features and unsavory behaviors. In a detailed grassland setting, Scheffler's charmingly homely characters showcase lots of personality. The sweet conclusion casts the ugly five in a more favorable light thanks to their loving and grateful babies. A final spread features more native savanna animals.

Certain animals seem to be the work of Mother Nature on an off day. Here, frequent collaborators Donaldson and Scheffler (The Gruffalo) showcase the wildebeest, the spotted hyena, the lappet-faced vulture, the warthog, and the marabou stork. One by one, they come together for a stroll on a savannah, owning the word ugly with pride. -My legs, long and skinny, are covered in poo,- the stork says. -And I-ll eat almost anything, even a shoe.- Scheffler, in a departure from his usual anthropomorphized characters, clearly had fun with these more realistic, warts-and-all portrayals: his hyena, for example, talks to readers with a mouth full of bloody bones from a fresh kill. Still, there-s something endearingly human about the characters- confident self-awareness and easy camaraderie, a winning liveliness in their eyes. Readers won-t be totally surprised when the final pages reveal that the Ugly Five have some very big fans: their own very cute babies (-You give us our food/ And help cheer us up when we-re in a bad mood-). It-s a welcome twist on the expression -a face only a mother could love,- and a heartwarming tribute to the child side of the parent-child bond. Ages 4-8. (July)