Karen Beaumont's (I Ain't Gonna Paint No More!) exuberant rhyming extravaganza salutes the characteristics that make each creature distinct, with portraits from Janet Stevens (Tops & Bottoms) that exploit the humorous possibilities.
"I'm warty warthog!/ Can't be who I'm not./ I am who I am,/ and I've got what I've got," says the furry fellow, with tusks spanning nearly a full page, and a fly perched on his snout. That fly appears on every creature, from Crocodile's rear leg to Rhino's front tusk ("Crocodile's proud/ of his big/ toothy grin./ Rhino feels fine in her.../ wrinkly skin"). The design plays up each singular feature cited in the text: "toothy grin" appears in a thick serif font that looks like blades and sharp edges; "lanky" and "tall" for Giraffe stretches down the page in all caps and fine lines. "Would you dare tell Flamingo/ he shouldn't be pink?/ Or Potbellied Pig she's too/ plump, do you think?" ("Plump" appears in a light-green type doughy enough to eat.) In one of the funniest portraits, poor Porcupine looks like she's having the worst bad hair day ever ("Does Porcupine care that she can't curl her hair?")
Stevens keeps the mood light while also rendering animals with soulful eyes who see themselves clearly. "We're glad we're all different!/ It would be such a shame/ if you came to the zoo.../ and we all looked the same!" This subtle commentary about accepting who you are challenges gender stereotypes and suggests true beauty lies in how we see ourselves. --Jennifer M. Brown, children's editor, Shelf Awareness