Around the World on Eighty Legs: Animal Poems [Hardcover]

Amy Gibson (Author), Daniel Salmieri (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2011 | Age Range: 4 - 8 years

A fun, fresh animal journey!

Pack your bags and put on your travelin' shoes! There's an animal adventure waiting for you! Awake with the HOWLER MONKEYS, twist into a pretzel like a QUETZAL, hang with a SLOTH, be will-nilly like a CHINCHILLA. Squawk with an AUK, bump your rump like a CAMEL, be silly with a BILBY, and drift off to sleep in the deep of the OUTBACK. Fun-filled and fact-packed, AROUND THE WORLD ON EIGHTY LEGS is the ticket for an unforgettable adventure!

YAK
The yakkity yakkity yakkity yak-
Why is it the yak never answers you back?
To a yak, nothing's worse
Than to have to converse-
The yakkity yakkity yak.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

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 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

From Booklist

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. Preschool-Grade 3. --Hazel Rochman

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Product Details

• Age Range: 4 - 8 years
  
• Hardcover: 56 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Press (March 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439587557
• ISBN-13: 978-0439587556
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 9.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #96,047 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #52 in Books > Children's Books > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > Humorous

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for the classroom! March 28, 2011

By Margaret Lim

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I am a elementary classroom teacher, and I am finding that this book has so many applications to the classroom! My Kindergarten students are learning about the oceans of the world right now, and we are having a great time reading the poems about oceans animals. The kids love the rhymes and the way the animals come alive through the poetry (like in the poem "Auk"). My little scientists, who love learning facts about animals, are soaking up the book too. Some, for example, pointed out that the poem "Krill" tells us about ocean food chains. Soon we'll be studying the rainforest, and I can't wait to use this book to introduce the animals of the rainforest. I can also see how this book would be great for kids writing animal reports, for a study on the continents, and definitely for teaching the art of poetry writing.

I found out recently that Amy Gibson also has a website that offers many classroom applications in language arts, writing, math, science, and more. Check it out at amygibson dot com. As someone who has taught in the classroom, Amy Gibson knows kids AND teachers, and so she has a lot to offer! She may be the Shel Silverstein for a new generation of readers!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Love this book!!! March 26, 2011

By JRW

Format:Hardcover

This book is cleverly written. The mix of fun language and fact is perfect for kids and adults alike. My wife's students wanted to do more research about the animals right away, and my two children fight over who gets to read it first. The illustrations match the whimsical feel of the poems to create a book that we'll read over and over for many years to come.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely Gem of a Book April 14, 2011

By John R. Bruning

Format:Hardcover

Beautifully crafted prose, priceless illustrations and a storyline that not only will engage children but teach them about the world's many critters, Amy Gibson's book is a signature accomplishment. She has a unique and lovely style of poetry that will warm hearts of young and old. This is a book to read to your children over a cup of hot chocolate on a rainy day. Not to be missed.