"35 poems about animals.... Hubbell is a careful observer, using visual images, sound, and texture to paint vivid portraits of these creatures' lives. Comparisons of giraffes in the zoo to sunflowers wilting in a vase or of a starfish to a human hand are fresh and powerful. The author uses a variety of forms, including rhyme, free verse, and concrete poems, to capture the essence of each 'earthmate'....Cassels's realistic watercolor paintings accurately depict each animal so that the image in the poem is doubly conveyed....A lovely collection."
—School Library Journal

"A picture book of poetry for animal lovers that holds a few surprises."
—Kirkus Reviews

"The poetry is ... playful and physical, with a strong sense of each animal's behavior and movements.... The rhythm and sound of the very short lines reinforce the sense of the wild, astonishing creatures."
—Booklist