Billy the Bear and Other Zoo Friends is a kind of children's book for adults-a series of playful poems and intriguing animal portraits. The rhythms and rhymes might resemble something from a children's book, but the poems here are used to explore a rich variety of adult themes. The result is a work that manages to be both whimsical and serious, philosophical and down-to-earth, exuberant and bittersweet. There is humor and wonder, depth and vibrant color on every page.