I'm Just No Good at Rhyming: And Other Nonsense for Mischievous Kids and Immature Grown-Ups (Mischievous Nonsense, 1) - Hardcover

Harris, Chris

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0316266574 ISBN 13: 9780316266574

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2017

Synopsis

The instant New York Times bestseller featured on NPR's Weekend Edition with Scott Simon! B. J. Novak (bestselling author of The Book With No Pictures) described this groundbreaking poetry collection as "Smart and sweet, wild and wicked, brilliantly funny--it's everything a book for kids should be."

Lauded by critics as a worthy heir to such greats as Silverstein, Seuss, Nash and Lear, Harris's hilarious debut molds wit and wordplay, nonsense and oxymoron, and visual and verbal sleight-of-hand in masterful ways that make you look at the world in a whole new wonderfully upside-down way. With enthusiastic endorsements from bestselling luminaries such as Lemony Snicket, Judith Viorst, Andrea Beaty, and many others, this entirely unique collection offers a surprise around every corner. Adding to the fun: Lane Smith, bestselling creator of beloved hits like It's a Book and The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales, has spectacularly illustrated this extraordinary collection with nearly one hundred pieces of appropriately absurd art. It's a mischievous match made in heaven!

"Ridiculous, nonsensical, peculiar, outrageous, possibly deranged--and utterly, totally, absolutely delicious. Read it! Immediately!" --Judith Viorst, bestselling author of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

About this title

About the Author

Chris Harris was a writer and executive producer for shows such as How I Met Your Mother and a writer for The Late Show with David Letterman. His pieces have appeared in The New Yorker,Esquire, ESPN, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and on NPR. He was also the author of the anti-travel guide Don't Go Europe! He lives in Los Angeles.

Lane Smith wrote and illustrated Grandpa Green, which was a 2012 Caldecott Honor book, and It's a Book, which has been translated into more than twenty-five languages. His other works include the national bestsellers Madam President and John, Paul, George & Ben, the Caldecott Honor winner The Stinky Cheese Man, and The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs, among many others. His books have been New York Times Best Illustrated Books on four occasions. Lane and his wife, book designer Molly Leach, live in rural Connecticut.

Reviews

Gr 3–8—Those who claim to hate poetry will enjoy this riotous compilation just as much as those who love the form. Fans of Ogden Nash, Shel Silverstein, and Jack Prelutsky will rejoice in finding another member of their gang. Wordplay abounds: "If ever I find myself holding a gecko…/I'll lecko." Typography is the source of gags, as when the letters "d" and "b" face off for a duel, turn to shoot each other, and fall over dead, having become the letters "p" and "q." And the title poem will have kids howling with laughter as the narrator repeatedly misses the most obvious rhymes: "I'm just no good at rhyming./It makes me feel so bad./I'm just no good at rhyming,/And that's why I am blue." Smith matches Harris's wit with his own zaniness, merging line drawings with printing techniques that add a variety of texture and mood. The interplay between text and illustration provides further delights. VERDICT A surefire winner for reading aloud or for snickering with under the covers. Every library will want to add this to its poetry collection.—Miriam Lang Budin, Chappaqua Library, NY

Edition details

• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2017
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0316266574
• ISBN 13: 9780316266574
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Smith Lane
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 192