Eighteen poems about animals offer surprising, lovely, and sometimes poignant perspectives on their subjects. "Firefly" begins, "Tracked along the / Glitter of its / Slow constellation, / Scooped from the / Dark and caged / In the hollow / Of two hands." "Mouse" tenderly describes the appearance of a creature with "papery ears" and "slim paws" that has been caught by the cat and left on a doorstep. "Geese" captures how human observers may imbue what we see or hear in the animal world with meaning, describing cries "like grieving" and, later, a "noisy rejoicing." Valerie Worth's fine poems are paired with Steve Jenkins's beautifully detailed collage image of each animal, with each page spread a striking composition balancing poem and art. (Ages 9-13)

In the follow-up to the well-received Animal Poems, Pug: And Other Animal Poems examines a wide range of animal behavior, from the fleetingness of a fly sipping spilled milk to the constant steely presence of a powerful bull; the greedy meal of a street rat to a cat's quiet gift of a dead mouse on the doorstep. Steve Jenkins's bright collage art brings these small moments to life.

A Margaret Ferguson Book