A quirky book sure to be a hit with young readers. This book is full of strange but true tales of animals who ruled in the past. Colourful and humourous illustrations make this book a great choice for read aloud.

Did you know that a rhinoceros was once elected to city council in Sao Paolo? Or that a dog served as king in Norway for three years? Kids who like animals will certainly get a kick out of this exuberantly colorful picture book. An introduction clearly states that some of these animal rulers are probably myths, but myths or not, they're still fun. An extensive bibliography shows the sources for these claims. My one complaint is that I don't particularly care for the large picture-book format. I think a chunk of the potential audience will avoid the book because it looks too young for them. ( )

An interesting look at famous animals throughout history. Each story is one to two pages about animals in leadership or animals that were honored by royalty throughout the world. Every story is accompanied by an illustration to match the animal and culture the story comes from. This would be a great book for kids that love animals and silly stories. ( )