Kangodile: A Mix-and-Match Menagerie by Janet Landay Ages 3-6 29 pages Chronicle Books July 2006 Hardcover     Janet Landay's interactive accordion-style Kangodile is an updated version of the mix-and-match cards I played with in my own childhood - the ones with different faces, bodies and legs that could be arranged and re-arranged to achieve seemingly endless combinations of hilarious people and creatures. The remarkable nature of this piece is threefold. First, it's impossible to lose track of the pieces under the bed or behind the sofa; it's one long interconnected length, front and back with panels separated by folds. Second, it's a fun alphabetical romp through the ever-surprising diversity of the animal kingdom from A to Z. Third, it's a giggle-inducing tool for learning the concept of words not only as unique entities or seemingly arbitrary trails of letters but as groupings of syllables. Light enough for little hands to carry, nimbly folded and flippable to enhance fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination, and tough enough to handle a rough-and-tumble child eternally dragging it around the house (our copy has survived the inquisitive but often destructive habits of a rambunctious two-year-old), Kangodile fascinates young minds and manufactures smiles while riding in the car or just hanging out at home.   web reviews   Sharon Schulz-Elsing/2006 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)