YOU STOLE MY NAME
written and illustrated by Dennis McGregor
Pairs of animals show their similarities and differences in this illustrated collection of short poems on shared names.
The kangaroo and the kangaroo rat have a lot in common, so the kangaroo doesn’t mind that the rodent uses the same name. The chicken is a bit less keen on sharing hers with the predatory chicken hawk, however. Across these pages, animals show their matching colors—including the parrotfish and the parrot and the zebra finch and the zebra—or give details that highlight their differences. At one point, a dog entertainingly addresses a dogfish in an aquarium: "You don’t wag and you don’t bark. / You’re no dog! You’re a shark!” The poems vary in theme, with some in the voices of animals wondering why they’ve been named after another creature. The paintings are consistently enticing throughout; McGregor, a talented artist, uses minimal backgrounds to help bring out the details of each highly realistic creature. Children who’ve graduated from John Butler’s similarly beautiful animal-themed books will be ready for this slightly more complex text. The short poems have some lovely alliteration (the cowbird’s style choices are said to “feature feathers over fur”), making this well suited for emergent readers.
Poems that will be perfect for animal lovers, with gorgeous illustrations worthy of framing.