Beast Feast

I love all the Douglas Florian books and this is no exception. It's such a joy as a parent to have something silly and fun to read to my son (2 years) that's chock full of educational information. My son absolutely loves all of these books...he'll page through himself and say bits of the rhymes. Beast Feast, Lizards, Frogs and Polliwogs and Comets, Stars, the Moon and Mars, are his faves. The illustrations are funky and may not appeal to everyone, they're not really the usual bright and cheery stuff of children's books, but I think that also adds to their appeal. (I believe his books are categorized for older kids.) I would highly recommend this author to anyone.

This author/illustrator has a marvelous imagination, not to mention a knack for alliteration and quirky rhymes. As if the words weren't enough, the capricious illustrations add to the enjoyment of each page, each new "beast". The list is indeed a feast: the gamut of strange creatures, great and small, short and tall: the walrus, the anteater, the whale, the pigeon, the sloth, the toad, the kangaroo, mole and even the kiwi, each with eccentricities that engage and challenge children to learn about the variety of nature. And the creative rhymes (often producing unexpected giggles!) are accompanied by equally enchanting illustrations, colorful and humorous. "I don't claim to Love the pigeon But I like it Just a smidgeon." Florian's wonderful poems and paintings are perfect for reading to a child at bedtime, especially when that boy or girl, stimulated by sounds and colors, blurts, "Let me read it!" Beast Feast, like all of Florian's imaginative, fantastic books is a treasure to own, a joy to read. "The kangaroo loves to leap. Into the air it zooms, While baby's fast asleep Inside its kangaroom." Luan Gaines/2005.

It is very funny. I'll give the The Walrus In His Chair a "two thumbs up." I memorized The Bat for a Poetry Reading for school. I give The Barracuda some very earth-eating competition. niknnik (Evan, 9)