In 19 pieces of clever whimsy, Florian captures the essence of a particular kind of dog or cat. From a whippet (“Few dogs can whippet in a race.”) to a bloodhound (“My senses are scent-sational.”) and from a Persian (“A pet-igree that’s known as Persian”) to a lion (“It has a most fur-ocious” roar.), he uses page space as well as observation to share what cannot be found in an encyclopedia. Two other brief, humorous musings contain Florian’s reflections about having a pet cat or dog. The artwork accompanying each poem was prepared in watercolor on primed brown bags with collage. Florian’s self-portrait on the book jacket suggests his personal feline tendencies. (Ages 4–11)