mammalabilia

Aardvarks aare odd.
Aardvarks aare staark.
Aardvarks look better
By faar in the daark.

Twenty-one short, original poems and splendid paintings celebrate (or jovially mock) animals from giraffes ("Rubber necker/ Double-decker/ Cloud-checker/ Star-trekker") to porcupines. The illustrations--painted in gouache on primed brown paper bags--are as tongue-in-cheek as his words; the coyote howls with visible "o's," the otter bathes in a claw-foot tub reading a book called "H20," and the rhebok is sporting sneakers. A pure pleasure for poetry fans and animal lovers alike, Mammalabilia is a welcome addition to the Florian fold. (All ages) --Karin Snelson