Poems about and cut paper illustrations of animals from nature fill the pages of "Lots of Spots" by Lois Ehlert. Science facts about each animal are revealed within each short poem. Don't expect to get a lot of detail on the animals in this book. Each animal only gets a short snippet, and one or two fun facts are given. For example, the barn owl poem states, "One barn owl can catch more mice and rats than a whole family of mouser cats." Rather than a focused study on any one animal, this picture book shows the wide array of animals and colors and designs (especially spots) that exist in nature. The cut paper pictures are fascinating to look at. They are layered and textured and creative. So much personality and so many natural details are revealed with simple paper shapes arranged just so. Young readers (kindergarten through grade 2 or 3) will be inspired to create their own. The illustrations in this book are beautiful like all of Lois Ehlert's cut paper illustrations. But this book is definitely not one that can be read aloud. Perhaps it could be shared one-on-one with a child, but in a group setting the format would become confusing. Each page has more than one animal illustrated on it and then each of those animals has a short poem which identifies it. Some of the poems are cute but many feel forced with either the rhyme or the meter or both.
Rhyming text and Ehlert's amazing paper cutouts showcase animals who sport spots and stripes.
—chcoble
If you are a Lois Ehlert fan, you will probably enjoy this as much as her others.
—Chabby
Fun little rhyming quatrains about lots of different animals.
—Emmy
Beautiful pictures
—Poobum
