Unnatural Selections

PreS-Gr 3—Professor I. B. Doodling, a traveling artist, presents beasts mixed and matched from the imaginations of children. These hybrid animals are stunningly illustrated with an accompanying verse describing them. Imagined creatures such as the "Hawkodile" are portrayed with a whimsical blending of attributes such as a reptilian tail accompanied by wings and a feathered head that is "seldom moving." The "Cowaconda" sports a black-and-white body but with an extensive snaking neck that "when her head is near, her body's yond-a." The "Leofroat" combines the leopard, frog, and goat to create "a handsome sight," and the ungainly structure of the "Toraffe," a hybrid of the tortoise and giraffe, requires a balloon to hold up her backside. In addition to the mentioned creatures, more hybrids appear hidden in the detailed illustrations, and their names appear in the back matter. While certainly fantastical and bizarre, this collection of creatures with their uninspiring verses may find limited appeal. An optional purchase.—Carol Connor, Cincinnati Public Schools, OH