Around the world on eighty legs

Amy Gibson

Book - 2011

Learn about various animals found in different parts of the world.

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Subjects
Published
New York : Scholastic Press 2011.
Language
English
Main Author
Amy Gibson (-)
Other Authors
Daniel Salmieri, 1983- (illustrator)
Edition
1st ed
Physical Description
unpaged : col. ill., maps ; 26 cm
ISBN
9780439587556
Contents unavailable.
Review by Booklist Review

Biology and nonsense verse make a winning combination in this lively picture-book poetry collection about animals around the world. The rhymes are filled with wordplay, and kids will enjoy the sly jokes: Although anaconda / is fond of / a hug, / to my liking, / his hug / is a little too snug. The rhythm in many lines captures the animals' movements: Hush deer / Hush deer / Tiptoe through / the brush deer. The cartoon illustrations, in watercolor, gouache, and colored pencil, extend the playfulness, as in the image of the anaconda with a sign that reads free hugs tucked into its coils. Along with all the humor and fun, kids will pick up plenty of information, starting with the animals' natural habitats, which are featured in the book's organization by continent and on an opening, double-page world map. Appended pages offer more fascinating animal facts that kids will want to memorize and discuss. A great choice for cross-curricular sharing.--Rochman, Hazel Copyright 2010 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

First-time author Gibson's collection of poems cleverly presents creatures from all across the globe in witty, rhythmic, and well-crafted verse. Instructional and entertaining, the poems nicely balance information with humor and wordplay (additional animal facts appear at the end). Of the electric eel, Gibson says, "It's eelamentary,/ dear Watson,/ this one's got a/ lot of/ watts on." Although most of the poems are amusing, a few are more poetically descriptive-the arctic fox is "Quiet as a whispered prayer" and the snow leopard "slips through the snow... on velvet paws and velvet toes." Emphasizing humor over naturalism, Salmieri's (Those Darn Squirrels!) illustrations match the playfulness of Gibson's verse point for point. An angry bird shakes its wing at a skua that has snatched its worm ("A pirate with a scrappy streak,/ the skua's got a lot of cheek"), and the illustrator plays up a camel's grouchiness, the lazy euphoria of a koala's life, and the futility of a warthog's attempt at beauty sleep. Kids will likely be spurred to seek out more information on less familiar creatures like the pangolin, agouti, and hoatzin. Ages 4-8. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review

Gr 3-4-The creative intent behind these brief poems is to introduce animal facts and world geography, covering five continents: South America, Africa, Asia, Australia, and combining Arctic and Antarctic regions. Sixty animals are briefly mentioned. Most of the verses and cartoon illustrations are broadly humorous if unmemorable, as in "Crocodile": "If you slosh through a bog,/you may find it worthwhile-/Stop and pause-/Are those jaws?/(Or a log with a smile?)." An illustrated world map and a helpful "menagerie of facts" add information, but this collection of slight verse and superficial factoids falls short.-Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review

This collection of animal poems opens with a map of the world. The fifty-plus poems are arranged geographically by region, featuring such section titles as "From the Andes to the Amazon: South America (and Beyond)." Cleverly, the poems often pick up on some particular trait of the animal: "When gusts of wind / come, / it's all right. / The sloth hangs / loose -- / his claws hang / tight." Gibson uses a variety of poetic forms, many of the poems bouncing along in a way that will make readers want to read them aloud just for the joy of it. Funny wordplay ("Though it's winter, / he's so furry, / the chinchilla's not / chinchilly") match up with amusing illustrations in watercolor, gouache, and colored pencil that depict each animal accurately but with a twinkle of personality. Packed with poems (and a selection of further interesting animal facts at the back), this makes a great gift book as well as a nifty supplement to story times and classroom units on animals. susan dove lempke (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review

The "Eighty Legs" of the title refer to sum of all the animals (their legs, actually) withinsuch animals as the Japanese macaques that need a Jacuzzi "when winter is a doozy" and an echidna that's described as "Pointy, poky. / Prickly, stickly." Amusing poems, some simple, others more sophisticated, about unusual and well-known animals from South America, the Arctic and Antarctic, Africa, Asia and Australia fill this volume. Most of North America and Europe are ignored, but from the quetzal to the cassowary, kids will go on quite a journey. The watercolor, gouache and colored-pencil illustrations are comical; the toothy goanna's portrait takes up a whole page, with his long tail going off the edge and then curving around the top. On another double-page spread, the Australian outback stretches into the distance with one furious dingo "penned" on one side of a fence and an endless, calm flock of sheep on the other. While there is no index of titles or first lines, a "Menagerie of Facts"interesting tidbits about each animal mentionedis arranged alphabetically with the animal names highlighted in red. A very general map provides some geographic orientation. This collection will be enjoyed in home, classroom (the poet is a former teacher) and library settings, where young poets can try writing their own verses. Not very scientific, but fun.(Picture book/poetry. 6-9)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

CrocodileIf you slosh through a bog,it may be worth your while Â-Stop and pause Â-Are those jaws?(Or a logwith a smile?)Note: With only their eyes and nostrils above water, crocodiles lie in wait by the riverbank,still as can be. Any resemblance to floating logs ends, however, once they open their mouths. Excerpted from Around the World on Eighty Legs by Amy Gibson All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.