Oodles of Animals [Hardcover]

Lois Ehlert (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2008 | Age Level: 3 and up

In this exuberant collection, Lois Ehlert celebrates the animal kingdom with quirky, playful rhymes and bold collage illustrations that perfectly capture the spirit of each creature. Sixty-four of her favorite animal friends are here, from hamsters to monkeys, geckos to mountain goats--and with its clever combination of fact and wordplay, this stunning volume is as fun to read as it is to look at.

Includes an author's note.
Visit www.HarcourtBooks.com/LoisEhlert for activity sheets and more!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2—Kids will have a grand time poring over the pictures in Ehlert's latest offering. A variety of animals, from insects to birds to giant mammals, is represented in her trademark cut-paper collage style. The artist uses scissors, pinking shears, and a hole punch to transform brightly colored papers into squares, rectangles, triangles, circles, diamonds, half circles, ovals, hearts, and teardrops of different sizes, which she then fashions into a menagerie guaranteed to spark readers' imaginations. Each creature is coupled with a short, humorous poem that is sure to delight: "If her tail's raised/give a skunk room,/unless you like/pee-yoo perfume." And who can resist this ditty: "A cat/is a purr/wrapped up/in fur." Young children will enjoy identifying the animals while older kids will be inspired to grab some scissors and paper to create their own geometric zoo. Teachers can use this book to jump-start art and creative writing lessons, but kids will just like it because it's oodles of fun.—Martha Simpson, Stratford Library Association, CT
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Celebrated collage artist Ehlert delivers another picture book in her signature style, this one pairing animal portraits with poems that nod to Ogden Nash. Although the poetry is uneven, with lines that often don’t scan, its brevity will be a windfall for memorization assignments, and the best entries offer quick gulps of kid-friendly humor: “If her tail’s raised / give a skunk room / unless you like / pee-yoo perfume.” Unsurprisingly, it’s Ehlert’s ingenious animal portraits that will draw repeated viewings. Though some may wonder about her idiosyncratic color choices (the rabbit has orange ears and blue feet), most kids, especially those familiar with the tangram picture-puzzles Ehlert’s work often resembles, will marvel at her ability to cull animal essences from the simplest forms: a perfect circle for a raccoon’s haunch, a heart for a lobster’s tail. Along with Ehlert’s Caldecott Honor Book Color Zoo (1997), suggest her newest as inspiration for art projects, especially those intended to meld art and geometry. Preschool-Grade 1. --Jennifer Mattson

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 56 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books; 1 edition (May 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152062742
• ISBN-13: 978-0152062743
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 10.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #252,662 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

LOIS EHLERT has created many picture books, including Leaf Man, Pie in the Sky, In My World, Growing Vegetable Soup, Planting a Rainbow, and the bestselling Waiting for Wings. She lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Oodles of Animals, August 12, 2008

By 

Laura (Milwaukee, WI) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Oodles of Animals (Hardcover)

I love this book! Lois Ehlert always has great ideas and illustrations. As a second grade teacher, I plan to use this book in conjunction with our math curriculum during the lessons on geometry. Students will be able to copy and then create their own animals using geometric shapes.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Treasure Trove, May 23, 2009

By 

TopCat "hal96a" (Minneapolis) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Oodles of Animals (Hardcover)

I am an elementary library/media specialist. Lois Ehlert is amazingly creative. Like the previous reviewer, several of her books are housed in our pullout section for primary math. I introduced our art teacher to the Ehlert books and she is using them for different art projects. I use them to introduce primary students to computer drawing programs both for design and color. And her poetry is accessible and elegant.

The books of Lois Ehlert are an interdisciplinary treasure trove for teachers. But Mom and Dad, these are wonderful books to have at home, too (especially at the prices here).