Animals in Pants: A Poetry Picture Book

by Suzy Levinson, Kevin Howdeshell (Illustrator), Kristen Howdeshell (Illustrator)

Overview

2023 Cybils Poetry Collection Award Winner
ALA/ALSC Notable Children's Book Winner

Author Suzy Levinson and artists Kristen and Kevin Howdeshell present an irreverently illustrated picture book of simple and silly poems featuring all kinds of animals wearing all kinds of pants.

What? You’ve never seen animals in pants? A dog in yoga pants, a goat in overalls, a yak in slacks?

Animals in Pants presents a parade of impeccable poems about animals wearing perfectly pressed pants.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781951836627
Publisher:	Abrams Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	04/11/2023
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	344,969
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 10.80(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	5 - 7 Years

About the Author

Suzy Levinson is a writer and poet whose work has been published in numerous poetry anthologies and children’s magazines. Animals in Pants is her debut picture book. She lives in New York.
Kristen and Kevin Howdeshell are a husband-and-wife illustration team whose books include The Poet Wolf of Piney Woods, published by Cameron Kids. They live in Kansas City, Missouri.

Editorial Reviews

Twenty-three very short and funny poems cover a wide variety of animals and the many types of pants they might wear. Silly and clever.”

The Horn Book Magazine

***STARRED REVIEW***
"Every library shelf should have this poetry book of animals wearing pants, which is a triumph of rhythmic language, vibrant visuals, and hilarious laugh-out-loud illustrations. It’s sure to please any reader."—School Library Journal

“Twenty-three very short and funny poems cover a wide variety of animals and the many types of pants they might wear. Silly and clever.”
—The Horn Book Magazine

“With sure command of metrics as well as excellent comic timing, Levinson dishes out pithy observations on animals. A tailor-made parade for younger clotheshorses.”—Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

★ 09/29/2023

K-Gr 2—A variety of audacious animals in all kinds of pants pirouette, slither, bend, leap, and strut while wearing pressed pantaloons, dungarees, button-fly flares, leggings, jeggings, unitards, and slacks. The sooner readers turn the pages of this delightfully humorous poetry book, the longer everyone gets to groove! Levinson's debut picture book of 23 entertaining and clever poems pulls readers into a parade of impeccable nonsense in which the husband-and-wife illustration team presents flamboyant images of cats, raccoons, groundhogs, monkeys, and kangaroos. While they listen to the crisp, concise rhyming verse, children's eyes will be darting across each energetic spread to soak up the movements of animals as they display their finery of perky pants. VERDICT Every library shelf should have this poetry book of animals wearing pants, which is a triumph of rhythmic language, vibrant visuals, and hilarious laugh-out-loud illustrations. It's sure to please any reader.—Lyn Smith

School Library Journal

2023-01-12
In this collection of poems, rhymed commentary sets off a menagerie of elegantly attired fashionistas strutting their stuff.

“Far below a barren field that’s looking fairly frozen / groundhogs dance the polka in their cozy lederhosen.” With sure command of metrics as well as excellent comic timing, Levinson dishes out pithy observations on animals from “Lions and tiger and bears (oh my!)” to snakes and spiders, all striking poses in the Howdeshells’ flat, screen print–style fashion plates. If some choices of attire do not come off as well (“Cheetahs in leopard-print leggings? / So sleek! / Horses in zebra-print jeggings? / Trés chic! / Porcupines stuffed into unitards? / Eek”), still, the deer and antelope leaping balletically in sweatpants, gyrating “King-aroos” in sequined jumpsuits and “blue / suede / shoes,” and a trash can tableau of “raccoons… / in fine pantaloons” exude élan as seemingly effortless as the rhymes. Nor is outerwear all that’s in the closet: “Do you wonder / what is under / every turtle’s shell? / Underpants are what is under. / Undershirts, as well.” Those shells probably chafe something fierce. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A tailor-made parade for younger clotheshorses. (Picture book/poetry. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews