[.ca] Scranimals (ISBN 0688178197)

From Amazon.com:
Poet Jack Prelutsky again pairs up with two-time Caldecott Honor artist Peter Sís to create Scranimal Island, a fantastical, off-the-map place inhabited by unusual animals from Hippopotamushrooms to Potatoads to a pride of Broccolions. A boy and girl on a scooter, equipped with essentials from umbrella to inner tube, fly from habitat to habitat over Sís's dreamy, mountainous landscapes à la Tibet: Through the Red Box. They make their way through the clutch of Spinachickens, past the Camelberta Peaches to the "Sweet Porcupineapple, / Unflappable chap, / You happily amble / All over the map." Prelutsky's biological inventions are as clever as they are silly, and it's wonderful that kids are allowed to figure out the hybrid themselves in Rhinocerose, Cardinalbacore, etc. Prelutsky's glee is contagious, and kids will get a kick out of the wordplay in poems like "Oh Sleek Bananaconda": "You slither on your belly, / And you slither on your chin. / You're only unappealing / As you shed your slinky skin." Pronunciation guides for each creature garnish each page, in case you can't pronounce Toucanemones right off the bat, and an iconic guide to the island's animals adorns the table of contents page. Gorgeous endpapers reveal Sís's map of Scranimal Island and its curious denizens. It's impossible to pick a favorite, between the unbelievably cute Pandaffodil and the detested Radishark. Highly recommended. (Ages 6 to 10) --Karin Snelson

Strikingly humorous!:
When I saw this book in the bookstore, I knew it would be good. Some of the things I didn't get at first, but my parents told me. When I reached that point, I found the humor in each one. "On a bump beside a road Sits a lowly Potatoad, Obviously unaware Of its own existence there." This is a great read for all ages, despite complicated and hard-to-understand animals like the Stormy Petrelephant and the Cardinalbacore. I strongly suggest you should read this book. -By Wu Love

Scrambled Safari Fun.....:
"We're sailing to Scranimal Island,/It doesn't appear on most maps./The PARROTTERS float on the tide there,/The STORMY PETRELEPHANT flaps./We may find a rare OSTRICHEETAH,/There's never been one in a zoo./We're sailing to Scranimal Island-/You're welcome to come along too." So pack your bags and join a young boy and girl on the safari adventure of a lifetime. It's time to explore an island of never before seen mixed up animals, vegetables, birds, flowers, and sea creatures. Meet the aromatic RHINOSEROSE, the green SPINACHICKENS, lowly POTATOAD, and inert HIPPOPOTAMUSHROOMS. Frolic with the noisy PARROTTERS, and the sweet PORCUPINEAPPLE. Swing through the trees with the MANGORILLA, and ORANGUTANGERINE. Watch a pride of BROCCOLIONS hunting ANTELOPETUNIA for dinner, and cavort in a mountain meadow with a PANDAFFODIL. And don't forget to visit the TOUCANEMONES, RADISHARK, BANANACONDA, poor, extinct AVOCADODOS, and other scrambled creatures living out their days on this magical island..... Jack Prelutsky's creative and inventive "scranimal" poems are filled with rhyme, rhythm, engaging wordplay, humor, and silly puns. Award winning illustrator, Peter Sis' intricately detailed artwork dazzles, and will send imaginations soaring with each page turn. Perfect for youngsters of all ages, Scranimals is a unique and captivating, fun-filled romp, and definitely Prelutsky and Sis at their very best. "We've journeyed to Scranimal Island,/Where magical creatures are found,/Where AVOCADODOS still flourish,/And green SPINACHICKENS abound./We've seen a PANDAFFODIL dining,/A PORCUPINEAPPLE at play./Perhaps there is more to discover-/We'd like to return there someday." We can only hope that day comes very soon.

A+:
Absolutely delightful. Clever and funny, and the pictures are ridiculous. Some of the best rhymes I've ever read out loud.

A Classic in the Making:
This is a book that I delight in reading over and over - something I can't say for most books. The rhymes are fun and imaginative and flow naturally. The vocabulary used is adult and lends depth to the images. The illustrations are fascinating and relaxing with their dense patterns, quiet colors, and wide vistas. My daughter, who is six, loves the book and I imagine she will love it for many years. Scranimals is a classic. It will definitely get passed down to future generations of our family.