“The HIPPOPOTAMUSHROOMS / Cannot wander very far. / How fortunate they’re satisfied / Precisely where they are.” Hippopotamuses and mushrooms might seem an unlikely combination, but they’re just part of the norm in this menagerie of amalgamated animals, fruits, and vegetables. From Bananaconda to radishark, these inhabitants of Scranimal Island haven’t been seen before, but one is unlikely to forget them once introduced. Peter Sís’s fine visual interpretation of Prelutsky’s verse adds to the quirky fun of this highly original work. (Ages 6-12)

We're sailing to
Scranimal Island,
It doesn't appear on
most maps....

Scranimal Island
is where you will find
the fragrant RHINOCEROSE,
the cunning BROCCOLIONS.
And if you are really, really lucky
and very, very quiet,
you will spot
the gentle, shy PANDAFFODIL.
(You may even hear it yawning
If the morning's just begun,
Watch its petals slowly open
To embrace the rising sun.

So put on your pith helmet and prepare to explore a wilderness of puns and rhymes where birds, beasts, vegetables, and flowers have been mysteriously scrambled together to create creatures you've never seen before -- and are unlikely to meet again! Your guides -- Jack Prelutsky, poet laureate of the elementary school set, and two-time Caldecott Honor artist Peter Sis -- invite you to join them on an adventure you will never forget!