Cock-a-Doodle Mooo! A Mixed-Up Menagerie by Keith DuQuette caught me with the title. I’m a word girl, in case you can’t tell.

The book starts with ancient mythical mixes of creatures.

Then it moves into modern options with rhymes. The rhymes are good, at least partially because he made up the names that had to be rhymed with. That doesn’t take away from their goodness though.

The book ends with a call to the reader to make up their own mixed creature.

Perhaps I will take his recommendation and begin with a penguin + kangaroo = pengaroo who will star in its own “Newly Created Ancient Myth” book. 🙂

The back matter is about 12 mythical animals from around the world. I noticed immediately that there is only one from the Americas and none from Africa.

A quick search of the internet and I am itching for more energy and a couple of hours to transcribe monsters for a grand safari.

When I thought of a shorthand for this book, I thought Cow + Rooster. Really, though, Cock-a-Doodle-Moo is perfect!