Pistes d'exploration

Read the book description and examine the illustrations on the endpapers. Clarify the context for the story.

As you read, notice other “mixed beasts” in the illustrations (they are listed at the back). Write a verse in a similar style describing one of these other creatures.

Take turns rehearsing and reading the verses aloud in pairs or small groups.

Imagine you are one of these creatures. Write a day-in-the-life diary entry. Reflect on the challenges and benefits of your species.

Take a picture walk through the book. Discuss the illustrations: describe the animals and the scenery.

Notice the creative illustrations of animals at the end of the book. Find them in the pictures. Look for the real animals in a reference book or online.

Create your own mixed beasts. Choose a name for your beast and add a descriptive poem (haiku or diamante style). Borrow ideas from the author’s poems.

Mots-clés

Humour , Poetry , animals , descriptions , imaginary creatures , nonsense words , stories in rhyme

Commentaire descriptif

Rhinocerostrich, Octopussycat, Hornbillygoat: this book expands whimsical wordplay into verses and stunningly detailed surrealist scenes. “The Creampuffin” sits on a plate surrounded by tea things, oozing cream from its chocolate-coated puff body. Patterns in the dishware, tablecloth, carpet and wallpaper create a gorgeous mosaic. Children will enjoy seeking out the other oddities on the tea table: the cake with mugs stuck in it (cupcake); a little brown moose sitting in a paper doily (chocolate mousse). An illustrated appendix lists the additional creatures that may be found in all the paintings. Verses have the formal tone of another era: “A cheerful and industrious beast,He’s always humming as he goesTo make mud houses with his tailOr gather honey with his nose” (the Bumblebeaver). Unfamiliar vocabulary provides another level of interest and humour, bringing new life to words and expressions rarely used today. “But the strength and the lengthof his legs and his tailare as naught to the strength of his song” (the Kangarooster). A feast for the ear and eye, this book is an inspiration for readers to develop their own creatures, using language, images or both.