FICTION

The Zoomers' Handbook

by Ana DE MORAES
illus. by Thiago de Moraes. 32p. ebook available. Andersen. Apr. 2016. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781512404241.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 2—Despite the title that suggests dashing around, this book is a humorous bestiary of sorts, a handbook for a cross between zookeepers and farmers who look after imaginary hybrids of wild and domestic animals. Each spread depicts one fantastical beast such as "goatrilla" or "horsodile," followed by a brief description of their special traits and/or food preferences, like eating cans or running fast. The illustrations of the unique animals are charming and silly, sure to amuse readers, along with the absurd combination names. However, the shifts in font size and layout are somewhat more distracting than clever and do not add much to the overall effect.
VERDICT Quirky but slight fare; Jack Prelutsky's Behold the Bold Umbrellaphant (2006) or Stardines Swim High Across the Sky: And Other Poems (2013, both Greenwillow) offer more substantial and punnier animal mash-ups.
Reviewed by Yelena Alekseyeva-Popova, formerly at Chappaqua Library, NY
Behold! A handbook not for "zookeepers" or "farmers" but for "Zoomers," who "look after very special beasts," including the "goatrilla" (goat plus gorilla) and the "shiger" (sheep plus tiger), whose "stripey wool makes the nicest sweaters." The text is marvelously understated; likewise, the illustrations use subdued colors, ensuring readers will fix on the finer details of these hybrids' weirdly wondrous physical attributes.
 , Feb 01, 2016

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