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 of his mouth.

In the illustration accompanying the text "Madagascar leaping lemurs breeze through trees without breaking femurs," three gleeful primates fly off branches as crutches float around them, and in "The Bear," the author plays with spelling, challenging readers with another artistic twist: "Come Septem-bear / I sleep, I slum-bear, / Till winter lum-bears / Into spring. / More than that's / Em-bear-rassing."

For one five-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.

From young readers who love animals to kids in the early teen years, a time when budding writers are trying their hand at crafting their own poetry, Florian presents wonderful examples of how cool words can be.

For more animal poetry, try his award-winning Beast Feast. And for a poetic look at sea creatures, consider Giles Andreae's and David Wojtowycz's Commotion in the Ocean.