I Invited a Dragon to Dinner: And Other Poems to Make You Laugh Out Loud

Offers a collection of amusing poems by a group of new authors recently discovered through a nationwide contest.

Kindergarten-Grade 3--This clever and whimsical collection offers a kid's-eye view of the world. In the title poem, a child explains that "I invited a dragon to dinner./My parents were really surprised./They thought he would wish for lobster and fish,/But he ordered a burger and fries." The picture shows an astonished youngster watching an enormous dragon sitting at a (destroyed) dining room table, happily munching. Some of the 29 poems play with language (what does it mean to have "caught a cold?") and transformations (what happens when "Sister Sally" swallows a squirrel, for instance). Amusing variations on eternal childhood complaints ("Detestable Vegetables" and "Why Do I Have to Be Clean?") are also included. Demarest's colorful cartoon-style watercolors are dynamic and accessible, just like most of the poems. While not especially original or distinctive, this title will make a solid addition to the poetry shelves in larger collections.

Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

This collection showcases the work of 23 new poets who were chosen in a nationwide contest. Unfortunately, the rhythm in many of the poems sounds the same and the verses revisit well-trod themes such as wacky parents, improbable animals in inappropriate places and outlandish dietary requests. Demarest (Firefighters A to Z), too, uncharacteristically uninspired, usually opts for the most literal interpretation of each verse. However, youngsters new to the genre will appreciate the silliness and puns, and some of the poems stand out, such as Dave Crawley's "The Attic": "There's a rumble in the attic./ A grumble in the attic./ I fear I hear (it's very clear)/ A stumble in the attic." Robert Ora Thomas offers the tale of the multitasking "Billy Bupper" who likes to combine eating and playing. The boy dresses by putting various sandwich fixings in his clothing, "So when Billy does a somersault/ He also makes his lunch." In the accompanying illustration, one of Demarest's strongest, an arc of food rises above both the catapulted boy and the words of the poem. And in Andrea Perry's cheekily sacrilegious "Bedtime Prayer," the narrator beseeches God to "Deliver me, Lord, From car sickness, blisters, and cold sores, and then,/ Don't forget liver and onions. Amen." An entertaining diversion. Ages 3-7.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Ages 3-6. There are few big finds among the 23 new voices in this anthology of nonsense verse, chosen from submissions to a publisher's competition. Most of the scenarios go on much too long, with the forced rhyme and jerky meter of amateur greeting cards. But preschoolers will enjoy listening to the silliness about food ("detestable vegetables") as well as the wordplay with creepy creatures ("Do tarantulas shampoo the hair on their legs?") and, of course, the puns ("Watch that dino soar!"). Demarest's wild ink-and-watercolor pictures extend the funny words with icky slapstick and literal images of everything from "catching cold" and "coming unscrewed" to "the human pickle." Best of all is the double-page spread for "Maximilian's Mouth," like a huge thundering train bearing down on everyone who has to listen to his "Outburst! Outburst!" Hazel Rochman
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