By Marianne Berkes with illustration by Cathy Morrison
Sylvan Dell, $8.95, 32 pages
ISBN 9781607181378

Animals galore, vividly portrayed in realistic settings, will catch the eye of the young reader. The rhyming analogies will bend the ear and cause the tongue to laughingly repeat the rhythmic words. Written by a retired teacher and librarian, Marianne Berkes seeks to enhance the children’s lexicon, sharpen their comparison skills, and make them aware of animals, their sizes, body parts, behavior, and classification.

“Dog is to bark as lion is to roar.”

Some of the animals include the tiny ant, the soaring eagle, barking dogs, roaring lions, croaking frogs, and many more. One analogy contrasting size juxtaposes on facing pages the observation that “the ant is to tiny – as hippo is to big.” The book emphasizes structure by comparing the wing of a robin to the fin of a goldfish, while classification is introduced by labeling the frog as an amphibian while the moose is a mammal. Large and colorful, this is a book that is fun to read and look at, while also enriching language skills and observational proficiency.  In addition, six pages of learning activities are included at the end of the book. For the beginning reader, this is a fun way to learn.

Reviewed by Aron Row