Customer Reviews
THIS ONE BELONGS ON EVERY CHILD'S BOOK SHELF 
2007-09-23
This oversized book does indeed belong on the bookshelf of every child. They just do not come much better. The wonderful art work by Eric Carle is worth the price of the book alone (If I could afford it, I would dearly love to have one of his originals hanging on my office or home wall). The entire book is made up of Carle's wonderful paintings of various animals, and each is accompanied by a poem written by some of the best poets in the world. The author has included the works of Ogden Nash, Rudyard Kipling, John Gardner, Jack Prelutsky, Ben Franklin, The Talmud, Emily Dickinson, D.H. Lawrence and many many more. The research that went into this book must have been quite a task, but the author has done his job well! This is a wonderful way to expose a child to great art and to great poetry at the same time. Each poem or rhyme fits the animal being depicted perfectly. A word of advise to parents...some of the poems, for instance, some of the work by Nash, have "made up" words in them. Most children are bright enough to figure this out for themselves, but for those children that have not been exposed to this particular mode and technique, it may take some adult explaining. They may not be able to, or be mature enough, to appreciate these wonderful play on words. This is a minor detail though and not of great concern. While this work is considered a "children's book," it can be enjoyed by adults just as much. Good art and good poetry have no age limits. This work, due to it's size, is ideal to read to a class room full of kids or just a good book for a quick bed time read. recommend this one highly.
Justin in San Antonio, 11 yrs 
2007-04-13
I thought the book was okay, but it might be more suitable for small kids. Some of the poems had made up words that were kind of like Dr. Suess type words. That's why I think little kids would like it better.
I did like Eric Carle's art in the book, and every poem had a picture with it that was colorful. I think it would be a good book for my little cousins because it was about animals and most of the poems were short so they won't get bored.
A favorite of my two-year-old twins 2006-03-04
I had this book on the top shelf of the kids' (two year old boy and girl) bookcase for safe-keeping until they got a little older and a little better at page-turning. It's far too nice a book, I thought, to be torn and wrinkled by a couple of toddlers who can't even appreciate it. It contains a wonderful variety of poems, and Eric Carle's artwork is stunning. He devotes a two-page spread to most of the animals; the whale at the beginning takes up four pages.
At one point, one of the children spotted this book and expressed an interest, so I got it down and read a few poems to them. I carefully replaced it on the top shelf. They began requesting it more and more, and soon protested when I returned it to the shelf beyond their reach. I gave in, and let them leaf through it -- under my supervision. Finally realizing that it was senseless to limit their handling of this book they so obviously enjoyed, I moved the pristine hardcover to a lower shelf.
I had no idea that two-year-olds would enjoy this poetry so much. While some of the poems are certainly at their language level, many are more advanced, and the kids request those just as often. I frequently find them looking through the book, naming the animals ("duck-billed platypus") and quoting portions of the poems ("lays eggs like a bird").
Now my son cannot even bear to part with this book at night, so it (along with a few others) goes into the crib with him. The binding is loosening and a few pages are torn, but I'll gladly spend another $22.99 to replace it, if necessary. It's a small price to pay for what may become a real love and appreciation for poetry.
fantastic!!! 2005-11-26
This is a fantastic book, full of wonderful poetry and Eric Carle's trademark collage art. This book includes poetry selections that span the cultures, including Native American, aboriginal, and Japanese to name a few. Many of the big names in poetry are here, from Shakespeare to Ogden Nash. I especially liked the reference to creation included with a quote from Genesis and a picture of a whale. My personal favorite poem in the book is "Mother Doesn't Want a Dog," and why "She's making a mistake." This is a great introduction to poetry for children that the whole family loves. Truly a great addition to my homeschool library.
Animal collection 2004-03-02
This book contains a collection of animal poems. The sources of the poems are quite varied, from Emily Dickinson, to the Bible, to Japanese haikus. All sorts of animals are featured, from fireflies to hippopotami. There are no scary bits, and the pictures are great. At the end of the book is an index of the animals and a table of contents by first lines to help you find your favorite poems. The book has about 2900 words.
The Inimitable Eric Carle 
1998-04-06
A dynamic collection from the internationally-acclaimed author and illustrator of
The Very Hungry CaterpillarFrom leaping, flying fish to dancing butterflies, and camels that "trollop along," Eric Carle's brilliant and colorful collage designs bring to life animal poems from such diverse sources as Shakespeare, Lewis Carroll, Rudyard Kipling, Emily Dickinson, and Jack Prelutsky, as well as Bible verses, Japanese haiku, American Indian poems and more. This celebration of the wonder and variety of earth's animals is "joyous...a book to be shared" (
Booklist, starred review).
* An ALA Notable Book
* A Child Study Children's Book Committee Children's Book of the Year
* An IRA Teachers' Choice Book
* An NSTA-CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book for Children
* A
Booklist Editors' Choice Book
* A
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
* A
Redbook Top Ten Picture Book
* A Picture Puffin
* Full-color illustrations
* 96 pages
* All ages
Engaging graphics and enjoyable text for all ages. 1998-03-27
I have owned this book for several years; I originally bought it thinking the bright and engaging portraits of animals would surely delight my young child. Since then all our children have enjoyed hearing the poems and laughing at, studying, copying, and perusing the creatures that share our earth. A lyrical book, both in text and picture layout, which we won't easily part with for some time, I'm sure.
We love this book! 1998-03-22
My kids adore this book and it's great for grown-ups too! The illustrations and poems go together beautifully and the selection of poems is wonderful. There's a great range of different styles and even young toddlers sit and listen. Eric Carle's books are always a hit but this one in particular is fantastic. This book will be one kids will read for years--even when they're adults. We love this book!
