ALA Booklist

for reading aloud. Florian continues his versified survey of the animal kingdom with 21 short, usually clever rhymes, each playing on a mammal's name or some physical characteristic: Aardvarks aare odd. / Aardvarks aare staark. / Aardvarks look better / By faar in the daark. The paintings, which, according to the production note, were done on primed brown paper bags, feature large, sweeping brushstrokes and are equally visible to viewers 2 or 20 feet away. Some are just big, simple shapes rendered with minimal detail, but others, such as the group of zebras (Florian has deliberately made it hard to tell the exact number), or the grimacing gorilla, with its tufted, textured fur, show that Florian isn't just inventive with written language. Like Insectlopedia (1998), and On the Wing (1996), this is ideal for reading aloud, to one listener or a crowd. (Reviewed March 15, 2000)

Horn Book

Florian's latest inventive and witty collection of animal poems again displays his delight in wordplay and confirms his status as one of the pithiest of modern poets. Many of the illustrations seem to reflect an Eastern influence in their elegant simplicity and calligraphy-inspired brush strokes. Others are just lots of fun, like the picture of the "aquatic" otter, reclining in a bathtub while reading a book titled "H2O."

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

"This collection of 21 short light verse brims with whimsy and fun," wrote <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">PW in a starred review, calling this an "irresistible homage to mammal memorabilia." Ages 5-10.<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC""> (Apr.)

School Library Journal

Gr 2-5-A collection of 25 poems with accompanying primitive, childlike paintings, this book follows the format and style Florian has used so successfully in Beast Feast (1994) and Insectlopedia (1998, both Harcourt). These verses, however, are more reminiscent of the silly wordplay of Ogden Nash. Readers will find a variety of rhyme schemes; meters; and forms featuring puns, concrete poems, litanies, and lists. A large painting, done in gouache on primed brown paper bags, appears on one side of the double page with a poem set on the other. The artist's renderings draw readers into the poem and invite repeated viewings after reading the verse. Pair this title with Mary Ann Hoberman and Malcah Zeldis's A Fine Fat Pig (HarperCollins, 1991) to show children the diversity of images that animals may evoke for poets and artists. Florian has created a zoological garden of delights.-Barbara Chatton, College of Education, University of Wyoming, Laramie Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.