Animalogy: Animal Analogies by Marianne Berkes, illustrated by Cathy Morrison

Rhyming couplets introduce readers to a series of analogies using various animals. “Deer is to run/as mouse is to scurry./Chick is to feathery/as bear is to furry.” The text is a fun introduction to analogies for young children. The art is elaborate and detailed, with lots of intricate lines throughout the pictures. Some of the text is a little difficult to read, superimposed over the illustrations.

The book includes an extensive section of extension activities, “For creative minds.” Including questions about the book, word games, information on adjectives, and a discussion of classification.

Verdict: This book would be especially useful in a school and is clearly designed for educational use with the extensive activities, lexile level, and curriculum keywords included. It would also make a fun read for storytime with some of the activities included.

ISBN: 978-1607181378; Published August 2011 by Sylvan Dell; Review copy provided by publisher for Cybils

Do you know what an analogy is? If you answer that it’s when something is like something else, that’s close enough. Remembering her days in the classroom and the need for analogies, author Marianne Berkes, a retired teacher and librarian, compares and contrasts different animals by using predictable, rhyming analogies of body parts, size, actions, and classifications. “Ant is to tiny, as hippo is to big.” Other animals included are deer, mice, chicks, bears, rabbits, skunks, bats, eagles, dogs, lions, robins, goldfish, frogs, moose, flounder, snakes, and bees. How do you think beavers and spiders might be compared?
Animalogy has large, colorful, life-like paintings by illustrator Cathy Morrison, but it is more than just a picture book. It’s intended to be both a fun-to-read story and a launching pad for learning, either in the classroom or at home. Of course, there is a wealth of information about the different animals that can lead to further discussion, but there is also the added benefit of introducing the concept of analogy. In the back are found six pages of learning activities, including questions about different kinds of analogies and material on animal classification. In addition, even more free activities for the book may be obtained online at the publisher’s website. Youngsters always love to learn about animals, and they will love this book. ( )