Unnatural Selections

August 1, 2014
A gallery of chimerical critters that Darwin himself would be hard put to justify. Edwards catches the exuberant "Whalephant" in midbreach, water streaming from its flapping ears as well as its flukes and a broad grin behind its trunk and tusks. He places the sinuous "Cowaconda" ("when her head is near, her body's yond-a") in a verdant meadow alongside a Koalarus, a Dorse and a Swox (as well as a fully ordinary Holstein that stands under a tree in whose branches an anaconda twines). The Tyrabbosaurus Rex sits on a stool, waiting for his meal ("He loves when his tasty carrots / are delivered by friendly parrots"), its toothy, reptilian head bedecked with long white ears sitting atop a fuzzy white body. With these and other lovingly detailed portmanteau creations, Edwards (Mixed Beasts, 2005) takes nature past its outer limits to hilarious effect. Made up of easily recognizable, if notably unlikely, parts that are rendered with crisp, colorful precision, each of the 12 animals poses proudly in (more or less) natural settings. The odd, smaller Frogtopus or Snailagator hides in the weeds for sharper-eyed viewers to spot. The comment attached to the seven-animal Skip serves for all: "A wondrous beast / to say the least." An imaginary zoo that will set readers to chortling. (key to smaller creatures) (Picture book. 6-8)

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October 1, 2014

PreS-Gr 3-Professor I. B. Doodling, a traveling artist, presents beasts mixed and matched from the imaginations of children. These hybrid animals are stunningly illustrated with an accompanying verse describing them. Imagined creatures such as the "Hawkodile" are portrayed with a whimsical blending of attributes such as a reptilian tail accompanied by wings and a feathered head that is "seldom moving." The "Cowaconda" sports a black-and-white body but with an extensive snaking neck that "when her head is near, her body's yond-a." The "Leofroat" combines the leopard, frog, and goat to create "a handsome sight," and the ungainly structure of the "Toraffe," a hybrid of the tortoise and giraffe, requires a balloon to hold up her backside. In addition to the mentioned creatures, more hybrids appear hidden in the detailed illustrations, and their names appear in the back matter. While certainly fantastical and bizarre, this collection of creatures with their uninspiring verses may find limited appeal. An optional purchase.-Carol Connor, Cincinnati Public Schools, OH

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