A Gaggle of Geese and a Clutter of Cats (Dandilion Rhymes)
Animals scamper all over the globe in this guide to the names of animal groups. There’s a vaguely religious overtone to the beginning of the book (When God made the world, / he formed all kinds of creatures, / fashioned in families / of similar features), and the last page features the passage from Genesis about God’s creation of animals. The text in between is straightforward and lively, with catchy rhymes and vivid illustrations. Hohn’s pictures are ridiculous (in a good way), making the most of puns (a sleuth of bears in trench coats searches for clues at a campsite). His beast-characters are also very expressive—the leap of leopards jumping from an airplane is a bunch of cool daredevils. The only disappointment: not all the animal groups are illustrated. When two are mentioned on a page, only one may be pictured. Even so, consider this book strong enough that its images and words will fire a child’s imagination. Preschool-Grade 2. --Abby Nolan