Mammalabilia

by Douglas Florian

In Douglas Florian's latest menagerie of twenty-one original poems and paintings, readers will be laughing out loud at the sheer silliness of his animal observations. With mammals ranging from the howling coyote and the wood-chopping beaver to the daring ibex and the speedy tiger, here is a zooful of furry fun like no other! The fifth book in a celebrated animal poetry collection series from a Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award winner • Twenty-one poems and paintings that blend humor with scientific information •Companion to the immensely popular insectlopedia, a Publishers Weekly children's bestseller that delighted Daniel Pinkwater's audience on National Public Radio

Genres: Poetry, Picture Books, Animals, Childrens, Nonfiction, Science, Juvenile

48 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2004

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sorry, but I have not really found the twenty-one mammal based poems of Douglas Florian’s 2000 picture book mammalabilia all that textually interesting, I have not found his presented verses all that lyrically engaging. Sure, Florian’s printed words, his poems are ALL AND SUNDRY quite ingeniously constructed (with many featured puns and equally quite a few examples of concrete poetry) and he certainly manages to show off his writing, he definitely ends up showcasing his poetic skills with mammalabilia (and that as a wordsmith, Douglas Florian truly always does seem to shine with regard to stylistics). But I for one also think that for a sizeable majority of those twenty-one mammal poetry examples, Douglas Florian spends far too much of his lyrical time in mammalabilia trying to make use of wordplay upon wordplay, trying to be and act continuously humorous and punning, with the end result being that there is far too much of an artificial and unnatural feeling textual cleverness for me to be encountered in mammalabilia and not nearly enough bona fide and factual details on mammals as animals (in a general, in a non fiction, non silly type of manner).

But no, I do not of course inherently mind that mammalabilia features puns etc., I personally just think that Douglas Florian has gone a bit poetically overboard and that for my own lyrical tastes, there are simply too many wordplays featured and that my reading experience would be considerably more joyful and appreciative if Florian’s poems in mammalabilia were considerably more balanced and not far far too often attempting be funny and stylistically clever (and so artificially thus that I for one am rather groaning more than a bit regarding mammalabilia although I do realise that in particular many children might well be much more enamoured of this book and of Douglas Florian’s twenty-one mammal poems than I have been). And combined with the fact that I am also not really finding Douglas Florian’s illustrations for mammalabilia all that aesthetically pleasant (finding his, finding Florian’s featured artwork splotchy, distorted and much too naive for me, and actually often bordering on being rather outlandish and childish), well, for me personally, the combination of Douglas Florian’s poetry and his accompanying images are only at best a two star rating for mammalabilia.

[Ch_hayley Medsker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mammalabilia by Douglas Florian is a collection of twenty-one short poems about different animals. While the poems are very unique and quirky, it's the illustrations that make the book noteable. After reading, I found that the illustrations were actually done on brown paper bags. Older readers would understand the play on words, younger readers will love the creativity.

[Jaclyn Giordano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mammalabilia by Douglas Florian is a themed poetry book intended for readers in grades two through five. I gave it four stars. “The Giraffe: Rubber-necker Double-decker Cloud-Checker Star-trekker.” Florian’s book of poems about mammals is both clever and humorous. The forms of some poems take the shape of the animal, such as spiky lines for the Porcupine or two humps for the Bactrian Camel. The rhythm and rhyme of Florian’s poems is especially appealing and fact-filled, as the words just seem to bounce of the playful tongue while informing the reader with unique facts about a variety of mammals, from the elephant and the tiger to the tapir and the lynx. The variety of text, from subtle humor to inquisitive questions to bold statements, takes the readers on a winding journey as they learn about mammals from all over the world. The hand-drawn and painted illustrations add to the playfulness of each animal poem, giving the reader a sense of child-like wonder and curiosity about nature’s wonderful creatures. Readers can learn that all mammals are unique and have distinguishing characteristics, just as humans do! This book of poetry dares us to look closer and think more about the animal kingdom!

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary/A Thoughtful Review:
In this collection of mammal poems, Douglas Florian uses creative words, poetic features, and award-winning illustrations to describe twenty-one of the most amazing mammals living on Earth today. His short poems (5-10 lines each) include alliteration, shape (the camel's humps or the porcupine's spikes), and descriptive words used to personify the specific animal (ie: The Coyote: "I prowl, I growl, my howl is throaty. I love a vowel for I am coyoooote."), and use rhyme, repetition, and rhythm that creates a playful feeling between the pages. His form also encourages readers to truly THINK, activating prior knowledge and drawing conclusions along the way. I have never seen a Rhebok before, however Florian's poem brought a smile to my face:

The Rhebok
The rhebok's main
Claim to fame.
Is its name.

Although some of the vocabulary used in this text (i.e. bray, retreats, slumber) is a bit more advanced than primary level, I believe with the support in the classroom through teacher and peers, early readers would LOVE this text! Florian illustrations are simplistic and somewhat child-like, however, bring comfort understanding to the text.

[L-Crystal Wlodek · Rating 4 out of 5]

This themed collection of short animal poems is recommended for students in grades K-3 and has won the New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books (2000). In this book, twenty-one short, original poems and splendid paintings celebrate and mock a variety of animals.

These 21 short animal verse poems are light, whimsical, fun, and will bring lots of laughter. Many of the lines within many of the poems are humorous one liners and poke fun at animals from giraffes to porcupines. One example is "Some people wear fur coats of lynx. / I/ think/ that/ stynx." The illustrations are gouache paintings on brown paper bags and are full of textures, various designs, and uniqueness. The artwork has childlike qualities, but are not simplistic as they are animal portraits that are appropriate, cleaver, and unique. The text and illustrations work well together as they both are cleaver and have the intension of poking fun at various animals. This book of short animal poems is sure to be a delight for animal enthusiasts and poetry lovers alike.

[Beverly · Rating 3 out of 5]

The poems are extremely clever. I don't care much for the illustrative style, in which these animals are somewhat distorted and the painting splotchy.

[RLL220_SandraJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary : This book shows many animals such as a gorilla, a giraffe, beaver, mule ,lemurs,aardvarks and so many more . It describes each animal while rhyming it. For example, for the llama it describe it with having the words in a shape of two humps. When describing lemurs, the words were going down as if they were swinging. While reading this book I felt like if I was a child again because it was so much fun to read. Each page brought something different and the words would also change.

Illustrations: The illustrations were awesome! They were bright and it looked as if a child actually painted them. There was no white space only when it came to the pages that had words. The people in the book, their features where so simple but I think it went great with the theme, of a child making the illustrations. The text change a lot ,depending on the animal that was being described is how the words would be shaped.

Grade level/ classroom used : I would read this book to pre-K , and make them draw their favorite animal from the book. For first graders, I would make them become an animal and describe themselves like the book.



Strengths: I found no weaknesses, the strengths were how many activists can be made due to such a simple but educational book. I illustrations were a strengths with making it seem as if a child made them. Lastly , how the words were written in different shapes, making it fun to read.

[Anne Veronica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book for showing kids how fun it can be to play with words and their placement on a page and also to teach them a little bit about many different animals through humorous rhymes. Some of the poems in this book are concrete poems, such as the poem about the porcupine in which the words are positioned to look like the spikes on a porcupine. The one about the aardvark makes each word with an A in it have AA instead, which, besides just being fun, might help kids remember the spelling of aardvark. A favorite poem of mine from this book is about the otter and uses a lot of big words that might help kids to expand their vocabulary. An animal that readers may be unfamiliar with is the rhebok. The accompanying illustration humorously shows the rhebok wearing shoes which appear to be the Reebok shoes named after the animal. Interestingly, the illustrations of each animal were done with gouache on brown paper bags. These illustrations are very cute and would be helpful for kids who don't already know what the animals look like.

[SaraKat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this book. The poems are all pretty short and are fun to read aloud. The paintings fit perfectly and add some humor to the poetry. My favorite poem was The Mule. If this weren't a library book, I'd cut the picture and poem out and frame them to hang on my wall. I recommend this book of concrete poetry to any kid (or any middle-aged woman, apparently.) :)

I think I can use this book in my science classroom to serve as introductions to different adaptations that animals have. And as examples of short concrete poems that can serve as a springboard for my students to write their own poetry about other animals and their adaptations. Either way, the playful poems will be enjoyed by the students.

[Briana Bencivenga · Rating 5 out of 5]

1. Awards: Best illustrated children's book awards New York Times, Lee Bennett Poetry Awards
2. Appropriate grade level: 1st grade- 4th grade
3. Original Summary: This themed poetry book includes about 20 poems about animals. Throughout the poems, there are facts about each animal mentioned. All the poems are all uniquely written, while some even are written in the shape of the animal being written about.
4. Original Review: This book has not only beautiful poems, but beautiful illustrations. It is captivating, enticing, and fun! There is a nice mix of rhymes, information, and creativity.
5. 2-3 in class uses: This book can be used to learn about animals and to increase phonemic awareness.

[Kaila Daniels · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I like about this book is that it identifies so many different animals. I would like to use this book in the classroom as a book to read for a science lesson. Every animal it introduces is named and gives characteristics about the animal. I think that there are a lot of science activities you can incorporate with this book.

[Ms. Brewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

4th Grader Review
"I rated this book 5 stars because it is funny and silly because you can learn more about the anmlies.
I would recommend this book to: if you want to learn more about the anmlies.
3 words that best describe this book: funny, silly, exciting" -OC

[Melissa Namba · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it! the illustrations are fun and the little poems are even more fun. the kind of book you could use to have 3-4 y/o memorize from.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorites were The Hippo, The Porcupine, and The Boar.

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

So funny. The art is both beautiful and silly

[T.]

One of Atticus

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mammalabilia, by Douglas Florian is a detailed description of various mammals that live in the wild. From animals such as the aardvarks to animals like the tiger, Florian uses various types of poetry to bring these animals to life in a readers' mind. This book is an excellent introduction into the world of mammals for some readers, and even for some adults. The illustrations that were paired with the poems were descriptive, vivid, colorful, and even displayed various examples of personification.

The sounds throughout the poems in this book were enticing, rhythmic, and captivating. Most of the poems rhymed, and most were exact rhymes such as 'prowl and growl'. However, some such as the The Fox, use adjectives to describe certain characteristics of the mammal without using rhyme. Many of these poems includes the attribute of fresh rhymes. I was very surprised at times to see the words that the author rhymed at the end of each line. Simple words such as 'throaty and coyote' and 'treks and complex'. Therefore, the rhymes were unpredictable to the reader, which makes them more enticing and interesting. Some of Florians' poems have a blank verse, so many do not rhyme. However, they have a very consistant meter and sound that adds to the experience of the reader. Many children would enjoy reading this book to use rhythm and sound as a way of learning about animals.

The images in this poem are vivid and slightly complex. They show personification of animals, and they would be an excellent example to use when teaching about that particular part of literature. The poems, however, bring clear images to the readers' mind without having to look at the actual illustrations. Many of the poems are filled with descriptive adjectives that display the characteristics of certain mammals. They are an excellent way for the reader to imagine what the animal does on a daily basis. Some of the poems describe the physical characteristics of the animals, while others simply describe what they are most commonly known for. An example of both of these would be The Beaver and The Tiger. In The Beaver, the author discusses the characteristics of a beaver, and many of the actions that they perform. However, it does not describe any physical characteristics that would lead readers to understand what the animal truly looks like. Contrastingly, in The Tiger, the author describes both the physical attributes of a tiger as well as the actions they perform. This poem would provide an example of an image that the poem creates. Along with the interesting images that the poems display, they also provide insight to the readers. All of the poems provide observations of the particular types of mammals, and how they are portrayed. These insights would be very useful when discussing the certain mammals in various lessons. There are also many surprises about these animals that children may not already know. Therefore, the poems expand the readers' awareness of various mammals.

A positive stretch of creative word play is used throughout this book. Florian uses his words, and how he writes his poems as a way to further interest the reader. Some poems have words written on various lines, however some, like The Bactrian Camel, are written in loops, humps, and other shapes. This way of writing however, is not random, mainly because the way he writes each line is describing the mammal he is discussing. Using The Bactrian Camel as an example, he makes the line of words into humps, and he discusses the camels humps within the poem. I think this magnifies the readers experience, and adds to the excitement of the book. There were no poems in this book that would be useful when covering a certain occasion such as a holiday, birthday, or celebration. I would think that I would be able to tie the book into certain lessons however, by using the animals within the story. For instance, I would use this book during lessons about mammals, animals, or even the zoo. One occasion that could possibly be paired with this book is if a student has a birthday party that has an animal theme. That way, the book could be used to improve the knowledge of the students.

I found this book to be exceptionally creative, and I think it would be a great addition to any classroom library. The poems can be used in several different ways from teaching about animals, to teaching about different types of poems. What struck me about this book was the use of adjectives and creative word play. I found the poems to be inviting, informative, and exciting when the author used rhymes that were not predictable. I enjoy the world of animals, and I think this book would be an excellent way of sharing my love of animals with my students.

[Kasey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poetry #2
Mammalabilia is a collection of creative poems written about different animals. To be honest I was a little disappointed by this book because I had heard so many people build it up. However, the poems were cute and I would consider using in my classroom to teach the format and style of poetry.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mammalabilia is poet/artist Douglas Florian’s tribute to the wild and furry world of mammals. The book contains twenty-one poems with each devoted to a different mammal. The mammals chosen for the collection include both the exotic (the ibex, the rhebok, and lemurs) and the more familiar (hippos, giraffes, and porcupines). Each poem is accompanied on the opposite page by large paintings that relate to the poem at hand and add small touches.

The poems in the book are full of fun twists and zany word play. Most of the poems serve to describe the elements or natures of their subjects. The gorilla, for example, sounds quite lovely until the reader reaches the last line:

"A gentle giant
Blessed with grace…
It’s stilla
Gorilla –
Don’t get in its face" (14).

Most of the poems are short and sweet, each one packing a satisfying dose of humor within its lines. Though short, each poem has at least one rhyme. The poems do not center much on the exploration of sound patterns, but they are still fun to read aloud. While most of the poems are written in a standard format, the collection does contain a few concrete poems. The words of "The Porcupine" stick up in vertical rows, like quills would on a porcupine’s back, while the words of the "The Bactrian Camel" curve into two distinct humps. In addition, many of the poems feature unconventional elements. In "The Elephant", Florian describes the elephant’s appetite for grass and asserts that he is "not looking leaner" but "growing greener" (29). The word "greener" is printed in green ink for emphasis. Another neat convention can be found in "The Coyote":

"I prowl.
I growl.
My howl
Is throaty.
I love
A vowel,
For I am coyooooote" (13).

In the word "coyooooote", the o’s arch up into a small pyramid, suggesting the up and down intonation of the coyote’s howl. Clearly, Florian works outside of the bounds of traditional word rules, inventing and modifying words for the benefit of the poems.

The artwork in the book is done in gouache, with paper bags serving as the canvases. The paintings are not intended to look perfect or emulate detailed realism. The art is very stylized and has a special, childlike charm. Indeed, many of the paintings look something like what a child might bring home from art class and proudly display on a refrigerator door. The colors used are somewhat subdued and do not scream for attention. In addition, many of the paintings have a watery look, with gaps of white background popping up in patches of color.

This poetry collection can best be described as a picture book, meaning that the paintings contribute to the meaning of the words. This is accomplished through the use of small touches that complement the words of the poems. In "The Rhebok", we see the animal wearing Reebok sneakers, while in "The Lynx" the lynx is holding his nose, since the poem describes the practice of fur-wearing as one that "stynx."

Children will love this fun, lighthearted book and will likely want to add more Florian books to their collection.

[Crissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mammalabilia is a book of poetry by Douglas Florian for children aged 5 -10. The poems are all about mammals. They are short and sweet and the perfect introduction to poetry for young readers. Some of the poems have only two lines, whereas others have countless more. Each poem is accompanied by a beautiful color drawing of the animal featured in the poem. One of my favorite illustrations is that of the giraffe. The poem consists of four lines, each of which refers to the anatomy of the giraffe and its long neck. The illustration consists of a large giraffe standing on a tiny plain, stretching up to the skies, surpassing the clouds and reaching the stars. The giraffes neck is twisted in a loop at one point, referencing the line in the poem that reads “rubber necker.” There is another poem featuring an animal that I have never heard of: an ibex. According to the poem, and the photo, it must be some kind of mountain goat that lives in rather steep terrain. I’m rating this book with 4 stars. I like it very much, and I think children would love it, especially those who have a fondness for animals. These poems are easy to read, they are silly, and also FULL of useful and (I hope!) true information. There are sometimes aspects of hyperbole as well (Do giraffes really touch the stars?). It is full of the things that make poetry what it is, and is a brilliant way to show kids how fun it can be.

[NS- Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a first grade teacher I am such a sucker for this book. Each VERY SHORT poem is about a different mammal. There are some common mammals and also some not so common mammals. Any primary aged child would love this book of poems. I think books like this one are a fantastic way to introduce children to poetry. Shorter poems can be very inspiring for young children because they feel like they might be able to write one themselves. Douglas Florian, the author, also does the paintings in the book. This is another great lesson for kids. They could take after Florian by either painting and then writing a short poem about the art work or the opposite; writing and then painting. Allowing kids who prefer art to draw/paint before writing might be the exact motivation they need. I would love to find other books by this same author or that are similar in style to share with my students.

One last application idea that I had is for classrooms to create a class book of poems all surrounded around the same theme (ocean animals, colors, shapes, food, pieces of clothing). The theme ideas are endless and it could be such a great project for young students to collaborate on!

[Lauren Rhodes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Literature Requirement Poetry #3
Mammalabilia is a cornucopia utopia with copious amounts of composed poetry that radiate off the page for any age.
Douglas Florian has done it again this book of poetry is amazing. It features poetry at animals in very inventive and creative ways for example, the lemur poem is in the a zig zag shape to convey the leaping ability of lemurs. It's not only the shape of the poem that capture the reader the illustrations delight the reader as well. There is lovely illustrated image that perfectly captures A Boar as just a pig in disguise. Douglas is very witty and punny for example, the poem The Rhebok (pronounced like the shoe) uses that connection and illustrates it as a play on words with the animal wearing four Reebok shoes on it's feet. Douglas Florian clearly has a zeal and passion for what he does and I enjoy all his works and this is just another work of art I didn't want to put down I wish I could live in its pages its so imaginative, creative and fun.

[Megan Mandl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personal Response: This book is a collection of poems, each about a different animal. Even though there are twenty one poems, they do not get boring or monotonous. Each one is unique. They have a different rhyme sequence, length, placement on a page, and a picture next to each poem. The illustrations were another reason why I enjoyed this book. They're colorful and unique in the way that the lines are distorted and the brush strokes are visible.

Purposes:
- ages 5-8
Read Aloud for Enrichment:
- rich language: odd, cunning, sly, prowl, gentle
- could have students act out how the animals are described in the poem
Read Aloud for Curricular Purposes:
- interesting way to start learning about poetry... most kids are interested in animals
- would be a good book to use to introduce poetry because some of the poems are humorous, which children would enjoy

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Age Level: K-3
Genre: Poetry Picture Book
World View: Divers; animals show no race or socioeconomical status
A compilation of poems and paintings by Florian, but done sloppily in water colors, and it looks like children made the illustrations. Florian shows the animals like a child would see them: a Rhebok wearing Reeboks, lemurs crazily dancing the page, hippo's eating a salad (fork and knife included), and he makes it so children can relate and have fun with this picture book. The short poems are fun and and can be used for middle-aged children due to the witty verses and diction that bypasses simple sight words.
Genre:
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[Lauma · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of short and witty poems about some common and not-so-common mammals that you would see at the zoo--from fox to rheboks. Florian cleverly uses puns, word play, and rhymes to create a musical rhythm when read out loud. Most of these poems are less than five lines long and some are written in a form to match the distinctive qualities of the animal.

Florian also illustrates his book with child-like paintings in bold colors and simplistic lines that are detailed to match the humor contained in the poems. A perfect match!

I would highly recommend this book for kids of all ages--but only older children would recognize the word play, humor and higher level vocabulary.

[Bridget R. Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Animals abound in Florian's collection of mammal poems.

What I thought: I really like this collection. I've never read Florian before and was pleasantly surprised. His collection of mammals is eclectic and therein lies the appeal. My favorite poems are the fox, the otter, the giraffe, and the hippo (I love hippos!). The illustrations are great. They look like children created them. That's a compliments as these will appeal to kids. My favorite illustrations are the mole (from the table of contents), the rhebok, and the tapir. Mammalabilia would pair well with Prelutsky's If Not For the Cat and Elliott's In the Wild.

[Emily Shazer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an excellent way to expose children to poetry because it incorporates animals which are normally something that captures the attention of most children. Along with the other book that I read, it was really cool how each page was a different animal and a short poem about the animal to go with it. I would read this to my class if we were learning about poetry and I would also keep it in my class library so the kids could read it when they wanted to as well. This book offers different types of poetry as well as different styles, so kids can let their imagination run wild when coming up with their own poems.

[Judy Lindow · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gets 5 stars for the pig reading on the front flap, the polar bear on the title page, the mole reading opposite the table of contents and ALL the illustrations.

This book gets 5 stars for poems like The Aardvarks: "Aardvarks aare odd. Aardvarks aare staark. Aardvarks look better by faar in the dark" and the poem, The Otter: "I state most emphatic: An otter's aquatic. An otter loves water --- An utter fanatic. It's most acrobatic, And quite charismatic. I state most emphatic: An otter's aquatic." That will freshen up your Boston accent!

The illustrations were done in gouache on primed brown paper bags - Windsor Bold - Sabon.

[Heather Gray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Type of book- Picture book/ short story
literary genre- Poetry
Awards- Best illustrated children's book awards New York Times, Lee Bennett Poetry Awards
Summary- This is a book of short poems of 21 different animals. These poems feature rhyming words with the same root word.
Prompts or questions- Look at the poem title 'The Coyote" on pg. 13. What do you notice about the first three lines? Are there words that have the same parts? What is the same sound part? What other words do you know that have 'owl' in them?
Craft elements for a lesson plan- This book has several poems that would help teach base words and could be extremely useful in the instruction of phonics.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

CIP: A collection of humorous poems about mammals, such as the tiger, gorilla and the rhebok.

Review: These short, whimsical poems cleverly embody the animal they are written about. Florian twists text into hump shapes for the camels, and incorporates roaring/purring sounds into the poem for the tiger. The illustrations are simple watercolors that add a great sense of fun and character to the text as well.

PW says: "An irresistible homage to mammal memorabilia"
Kirkus says: "His verses are witty and succinct, but perfectly descriptive"