ZOO'S WHO

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Florian, Douglas. 2005. ZOO'S WHO. Orlando, FL: harcourt, inc. ISBN 9780152046392


PLOT SUMMARY
In this book of poems written and painted by Douglas Florian his thoughts are given on twenty-one animals found in the zoo. The poetry is short and sometimes nonsensical verse.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Florian's book is fun to read. The use of made up words in this book are an unexpected treat. When describing a penguin, the author uses the phrase "penguindy weather" which conjures up a visual image. The girth of a penguin - it has "penguinsulation". The poem on slugs employs the use of a space between each letter. This slows down the reading of the poem much like the movement of a slug. My favorite poem about a snake has the letter "s" repeated in the shape of a snake moving and eventually spelling out the word "snake". Other poems are done in rhyme and shapes. The poem about an ant uses words with ANT in them capitalized. It's very effective.

Just taking a picture walk through the book before reading is a dessert for the primitive eyes. The simplistic art employs stamped letters, words, collaged pieces and paint. Each animal has its name stamped somewhere in the piece. On the opposite page, each corresponding poem is centered with vast white space around to draw the reader into the words.

PERSONAL OPINION
Elementary students like to be silly. This book of poetry would fill that need. The poems are usually only four lines which would also appeal to a younger age group. The primitive art work is a change from most artwork portrayed in children's books.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
From Booklist:
"Florian continues his series of books that deal with animal life in all its permutations. These short poems often make their points in clever ways: "Lizards laze / And lizards bask. / What's their favorite food? / Don't ask!" Or "I'm not a seagull. / I'm royal. / I'm regal. / All birds are not / Created eagle." Not all the poems are so pithy, but there's plenty of humor throughout to keep kids going. However, children will need a certain sensibility to understand the wordplay. The artwork, which is simple enough for them to enjoy, always has unexpected bits. For instance, a painting of a shark--mouth open, teeth bared----is highlighted by a collage of what's inside his mouth: a tiny fan, a small pliers, and other miniature objects. "

From School Library Journal:
"Quick quips, wordplay, and poetic license mark Florian's continuing scheme of paying homage to animals in short verse and imaginative paintings. Though readers may expect to meet zoo animals this time around, they will encounter quite an eclectic assortment of creatures as the term "zoo" is apparently intended in a wider sense. "Slugs are ugly./Slugs are lowly./Slugs climb mountains/Very slowly." If the verses seem rather slow, too, they're mostly quite short and some will evoke a chuckle. The mixed-media art facing each of the 21 entries is intriguing."

CONNECTIONS
After reading this book orally, the class could be asked to compose a four line poem about an animal not mentioned in this book. For younger grades it could be done together as a class. For upper elementary they could each write an animal poem. When they have finished, they could employ Florian's technique of stamping the animal name and creating a piece of art using collage, stamps and paint.

Students who enjoyed this would also enjoy:
Florian, Douglas. BOW WOW MEOW MEOW IT'S RHYMING CATS AND DOGS.
ISBN 0152163956

Florian, Douglas. BEAST FEAST. ISBN 9780152017378

Florian, Douglas. MAMMALABILIA. ISBN 9780152050245

Florian, Douglas. LIZARDS, FROGS AND POLLIWOGS. ISBN 9780152052485