The Bewundering World of Bewilderbeests

First-time author-illustrator Fort imagines a land “Behind the high seas,/ A-way to the east,” populated by hybrid creatures called Bewilderbeasts. In rhyming verse, she introduces 13 such animals one by one; “Jabberwocky”-style portmanteaus are many (the “snaggle-toofed bandersnoot” can’t help but recall Carroll’s “frumious bandersnatch”) as are wordplay- and pun-driven creations like the “early-morning meadowsnark,” a “mountain gloat,” and the “red and ruffled liddigator,” whose names all give clear clues as to their personalities. (Regarding the meadowsnark, Fort advises, “First thing in the morning/ She’s sarcastic, rude, and bossy./ Approach instead at noon or night,/ For then, she’s merely saucy.”) Set against marbled skies, Fort’s portraits of the animals resemble layered digital collages, the creatures reflecting a wide range of personalities and temperaments. The similarly structured poems can get repetitive, a feeling underlined by multiple mentions of the Bewilderbeasts’ names (“I tried to ride a buffalope,/ It looked to be such fun./ I tried to ride a buffalope,/ Which perhaps I shouldn’t have done”), but there’s still plenty of amusement to be found in these pages. Ages 3–10. [em](BookLife) [/em]