Review by Booklist Review
A wide-ranging, oversize anthology of animal poems imaginatively interpreted by a favorite illustrator's colorful collages.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Exuberantly illustrated by Carle ( The Very Hungry Caterpillar ), this collection of animal poems contains many pleasant surprises. Benjamin Franklin observes, ``What is a butterfly? At best / He's but a caterpillar dressed,'' and Clarence Day reports, ``The ant is knowing and wise; but / he doesn't know enough to take a vacation.'' ``A discovery!'' announces Yaku in a haiku. ``On my frog's smooth green belly /there sits no button.'' Meanwhile, Carle's brilliant patchwork of mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds, fish and insects parades up and down tree trunks, alongside cityscapes and--most memorably--is enfolded in the billowing currents of oceans. Seeing and evoking all with a childlike, primitive verve, the illustrator depicts his menagerie at full tilt, with sensuous succulence. All ages. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Horn Book Review
Fiction: NF Age: K-3 This collaboration by two people who know children well has produced an immensely attractive and engaging book of poetry for the very young child; this volume brings together suitable poems from other anthologies that are a perfect match for the illustrations. Indexes. Review, p. 785. Horn Rating: Superior, well above average. Reviewed by: esw (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
First, a word for the anthologist: the 62 poems Whipple has assembled as companions to Carle's flamboyant art are so splendid that they could easily stand alone; such greats as Dickinson, Sandburg, and Kipling appear along with numerous children's favorites--e.g., Worth, Behn, Coatsworth. Mostly familiar, they also include a few surprises and some international entries. Altogether, they are so good that on first reading the yen to share them aloud is even greater than the yen to share the art--rich and wonderful as it is. Carle's technique--collages of textured, translucent tissue paper that he prepares himself, combined with directly painted areas--is familiar from his deservedly popular picture books (The Very Hungry Caterpillar: 6,000,000 copies). In this generously sized volume, it is used to full advantage. There's plenty of visual variety--a whale that stretches over two double spreads; a giraffe for which the book is turned 90 degrees; a few pages where several poems appear (each with its own small illustration); as well as many grand double spreads of creatures from tawny camels marching over the desert to a glorious blue-and-green hippo. No author index, but there is an index of animals as well as an index of first lines. A treat! Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
