A menagerie of forty appealing, whimsical poems about animals is highlighted by full-color artwork by the illustrator of Tacky the Penguin. Kindergarten-Grade 5-- Despite the title, not all of these 45 poems are true zoo. There are, of course, lions and tigers and anacondas and hyenas, but also dogs and mice and chickens and cats. The poems, by some 24 different authors, reflect an appreciation of humor and language full of rhythm and image. The selections, for the most part, have not been overly anthologized, and it's a pleasure to find a piece such as Grahame's ``Song of Mr. Toad,'' which doesn't often get to stand on its own. So what separates this from the many other good animal poetry anthologies out there? It's Munsinger's light touch and whimsical creatures--be they waltzing giraffes, gift-wrapped elephants, insomniac sheep, or blow-dried porcupines. Reminiscent of Wallace Tripp's work, they add a great deal of charm and set the jolly tone. The large-headed, slightly bewildered children who occasionally appear may signal ``too young'' to some older children, but the poetry is not, in fact, for the very youngest. The simpler lines of Jill Bennett's The Animal Fair (Viking, 1990) is a better choice for preschoolers. Eric Carle's Animals Animals (Philomel, 1989), which is also wonderfully (if very differently) illustrated, includes more poems in about the same number of pages and a more international selection, but is not limited to the mainly mirthful. Lee Bennett Hopkins's To the Zoo (Little, 1992), with exciting spill-across-the-page illustrations by John Wallner, includes only 19 poems, but more diverse authorship and tone. Zooful 's artfully comic creatures will give access to plenty of laughter and cheers. --Nancy Palmer, The Little School, Bellevue, WA Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. A welcome companion to A Zooful of Animals (1978): 45 poems, from sources old and new, many of them spread over several pages as Munsinger elaborates on the humor in loving detail. Whether capturing the bemused expressions of a kangaroo and an opossum comparing notes on being marsupials, following the comical disasters in Daniel Pettiward's ``Pets,'' or presenting A. B. Paterson's lonely ``Old Man Platypus,'' she brings imagination, a perceptive eye, and warm good humor to her appealing pen and watercolor illustrations. Cole has rounded up a fine supply of poems, mostly humorous; a few provide a welcome challenge with their vocabulary and intricate rhythms (e.g., Geoffrey Dearmer's ``The Giraffe,'' which merrily echoes W. S. Gilbert); most have a more immediate popular appeal. A winning collection. (Note: as is customary, the acknowledgments serve the legalities but frustrate the reader who cares about sources. Dates would be nice; so would designating poems first published here.) Index. (Poetry/Picture book. 3-10) -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.