A Phenomenal Fauna

A curious bestiary of creatures that never existed but feel strangely familiar. Carolyn Wells conjures a menagerie of the impossible through bouncing, clever verses that children will love and adults will secretly adore. The Reg'lur Lark and Bookworm and Bugbear inhabit a world where language itself becomes play, where every creature is an excuse for a joke, a pun, a gentle poke at human folly. Wells wrote with a light hand and a sharp eye, turning what could be simple nursery rhymes into small machines of wit. The poems zip along with perfect rhythm and just enough twist to make you smile. Nearly a century later, these creatures remain irresistible: they demand to be read aloud, preferably at bedtime, preferably with a performer ready to commit to every silly sound. Those who surrender to Wells's invented bestiary will discover unexpected delights.