 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Mammalabilia
- By Douglas Florian
- Genre: Poetry
Common Sense Media says
Witty words with whimsical illustrations.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that there is nothing of concern in this book of humorous poems with inventive paintings.
What's the story?
Twenty-one extraordinary poems about twenty-one extraordinary creatures! Witty words are whimsically accompanied by childlike illustrations of original mammals: an oddly shaped tapir, a sneaker-wearing rhebok, a bactrian camel donning a dapper hat. The spiraling word format reinforces the energy of the language.
Is it any good?
Douglas Florian's paintings -- done on primed brown paper bags -- energize the mammals, and his words cleverly describe their idiosyncrasies. The hippo who "eats and eats and eats and eats" has a table and a place setting inside his mouth. With the text "Madagascar leaping lemurs breeze through trees without breaking femurs," three gleeful primates fly off branches as crutches float around them.
For one 5-year-old reader, MAMMALIBILIA was a good introduction to animals he hadn't heard of before, and the silly verses encouraged him to remember some of the animals' characteristics, such as the lynx's sought-after coat and the tapir's hefty head. Florian presents wonderful examples of how cool words can be.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the fun rhymes. Which lines and poems do you enjoy most? Parents can help children identify different elements in the structure of the poems and encourage kids to write their own animal-inspired poetry.
There aren't any reviews yet. Be the first to review this title below.
| Author: | Douglas Florian |
| Illustrator: | Douglas Florian |
| Book type: | Non-Fiction |
| Genre: | Poetry |
| Publisher: | Harcourt Brace |
| Publication date: | January 1, 2000 |
| Number of pages: | 48 |
| Paperback price: | $7.00 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 4 - 7 |
Review It
Register now to save reviews and advice articles to your personal lists!
Great alternatives handpicked by our editors
Already read it? What do you think?
More from Common Sense Media
Top advice and articles
