Mr. Mehan’s Mildly Amusing Mythical Mammals

What if Rembrandt and Dante played with Aesop in Alice's "Wonderland"?  Find out in this book!  Art with a delightful, luscious, softness of Rembrandt and Rubens, curviness and playfulness of Dali - and with some of the gravitas of Raphael. The artwork alone is worth it; the poetry alone is worth it; the combination of the two:  priceless.  Both have a dynamism and a bounce that keeps you moving through the work - a journey through a mythical world which resonates with ours in a fanciful way - can be read at multiple levels  - filled with fun for children, and insight for adults.The glossary itself is a guided tour through a memory palace of the liberal arts:  A romp, with citations from Shakespeare, Dante, Milton, Chaucer, and even Cicero, Homer, Vergil and Thomas More.The book includes - 26 mythical mammals - a lullaby to an endangered, nearly extinct species of dolphin - a giant mural of natural history - bonus appendices, with eye spy games, out-takes, etc. I will be musing over this opus for many moons to come.  I would love to see the cartoon-movie version of this book. Like all true Comedy, this book ends in union, and the Zealion's poem is final alphabetically and also final as the goal of the journey - it sheds light back on where we have been, and why we are here.Frolicking on the boundary of sublimity and profundity, of frivolity and fun-ditty.   If you like Shel Silverstein or Dr. Seuss, you'll love Mehan and Folley.My son said "I can't wait to read it again!" I say: Thank you for writing this book!

I bought Mr. Mehan's book for my grandchildren when it first came out. They live in another state so I knew I wouldn't give it to them until Christmas but I bought it to be sure I wouldn't forget.My brother and I have competitively recited the Jabberwocky since middle school. We laughed aloud at the Jargontalky! I took the book with me to a family reunion with 7 of my 11 siblings. We greatly enjoyed reading the poems aloud to each other.For Christmas, I finally took it to California to share with my 6 and 5 year old grand daughters. Not surprisingly, they were enchanted (Blug and Dally), repulsed (Colvaino) and afraid (Nolle). Plus much more. We read it over and over, sometimes in parts; sometimes as a whole. They read well on their own and I often found them pouring over the illustrations and the words with one another and making new discoveries. ("Look sister! Colvaino is like a backwards Volcano!")So much depth and detail in picture and word!! My grand daughters will chew on this book for years and hopefully when they are gray haired like my brother and I, they will be competitively reciting Mr. Mehan's Mythical Mammals. :-)

We are trying to read more poetry to our children, not just to increase phonomic awareness but because it is fun and feels like a dying art. We just got this book but is already one of our favorites. It's a bit like Dr. Suess with its made-up words, and I've always thought part of what makes Suess great is the kids is seeing their parents struggle a little with new words (like they do when they learn to read) - Seeing me stick with it and enjoy myself does wonders for their confidence. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys a silly escape with their child into another world and beautiful illustrations for the kids to inspect while listening to fun rhymes. It is a large classic sized book that would make a great baby gift to new parents, especially if they are after a throw-back simple childhood for their baby.

This book is for anyone who loves literature and poetry. I recommend it especially if you have children or want to give an heirloom gift. I got this book as a Christmas gift for my children after seeing a friend’s copy. I wish this book had been published years ago, especially when my older kids were doing poetry units in school, it would have really aided them. The poetry is so lively, and it just draws you in with its rhymes. The illustrations are fantastic and are true works of art. Soon after giving this gift to my family I found it on my 10-year old’s night stand, with her other books she likes to read before going to bed. Thank you for writing and publishing this book. It is a true winner!

Somewhere Eliot wrote of the descent into hell that it takes us “into this twittering world.” Too true. But thankfully, Mehan and Folley have the antidote to our children’s (and our own) pixel addiction. This book is like a medieval manuscript, with each letter of the alphabet illuminated by witty, engaging poetry and rich illustrations that beg to be unpacked. The reader, rather than seeking an ever-accelerating torrent of stimuli, is drawn deeper and deeper into each paired poem and picture, reminding us that some things shouldn’t be rushed, but dwelled on. What a tonic for our time. I ordered several copies of the book and can’t wait to start giving them for birthdays, Christmas, etc. (although at least one will stay on my shelf!).

This beautifully written and illustrated book is a wonderful addition to my library of children's books. I am thrilled to be able to share it with my first grandchild who is now 14 months of age. I highly recommend that you purchase it to share with your loved ones. It is my opinion that "Mr. Mehan's Mildly Amazing Mythical Mammals" should be required reading for all children, from infancy on up. In the creation, development and execution of this book, Messrs. Mehan and Folley make a forceful argument in favor of maintaining the teaching of the humanities in our schools. They certainly enrich our lives by presenting their extensive grasp of such material for our reading and viewing enjoyment!

The poetry is amazing, I love the illustrations, and the level of intelligence and class in the book are something you do not see in other children's books these days.