 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|||||||
|
|
Last Laughs: Animal Epitaphs
Product Code: 92605 ISBN: 978-1-58089-260-5 Binding Information: Hardback Ages: 7 - 10 Availability: In stock Price: $16.95 Shop a Local Bookstore
Not your average poetry collection.
That poor old chicken never saw it coming. Neither did the owl who was slain by one of his own. And what about that bear who just wanted to lose a little more weight? If only he hadn’t insisted on hibernating for quite so long…
Children’s Poet Laureate J. Patrick Lewis and the inimitable Jane Yolen team up in this ironic and witty take on the last moments in the lives of a variety of animals. Each poem in this darkly humorous collection is an epitaph of a different animal. Grouped by animal type, these posthumous poems are full of clever wordplay and macabre humor that will appeal to kids (and adults) of all ages.
Aside from the comical nature of this book of poetry, complemented perfectly by Jeffrey Stewart Timmins’ dark yet amusing illustrations, the length of the poems—which range from one to eighteen lines—create an inviting way to introduce readers to this often intimidating form of literature.
This book is good for your brain because it provides: Reviews School Library Journal - July 1, 2012
Lewis and Yolen demonstrate their wit and punning skills in this collection of 31 short selections describing the demise of a variety of creatures, both domestic and wild. Each author supplied 15 poems; one is a collaboration. Cartoon-style animals on the volume's cover and the picture-book format belie the sophistication of the poetry and illustrations within. Timmins has used black, gray, and brownish inks with some touches of color (including plenty of blood red) to create the bizarre, sometimes grim or grotesque computerized scenes that are an integral part of each poem-a newt squashed flat on the road; a goose fried on an electric wire; a sick old horse drinking from a stream into which a sheep is defecating; a rooster's body protruding from a car's grille. Youngsters who can get past the book's theme and are able to understand and appreciate the "deadly" dark humor based on clever wordplay are in for a treat, for both poets are in great form. Some prime examples are: Yolen's "Firefly's Final Flight" (a poem in two words)-"Lights out." and Lewis's "Ciao Cow"-"This grave is peaceful,/the tombstone shaded,/but I'm not here-/I've been cream-ated." Poeticized animals also include barracuda, swordfish, rattlesnake, woodpecker, dog, skunk, bear, and others. Definitely a tad macabre, but original and inventive, just the same.
Marika McCoola, Odyssey Bookshop, South Hadley, MA - July 10, 2012
Looking for a dark, grim, and absolutely hilarious book? Look no further! J. Patrick Lewis and Jane Yolen have written a series of posthumous poems, each commemorating the demise of a different animal. Dark, detailed illustrations by Jeffery Stewart Timmins show moments before, during, or after each unpleasant death, sometimes combining elements from different poems into one fantastically funny illustration. Last Laughs is simply fabulous. Read one epitaph and you'll be hooked.
 Publishers Weekly - July 30, 2012 The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books - September 1, 2012
This collection of "once upon a tomb" poems offers over thirty darkly punny, often extremely pithy ditties about the ends of a variety of animals. Subjects range from the turkey ("Sorry, no leftovers") to the "Infirm Worm" ("You'll find you've no more wiggle room") through critters as varied as insects, fish, and mammals. While not every poem hits the jokey sweet spot it's aiming for (and there's one that's silently adapting a college fight song), the speedy sepulchral irreverence will suit the tastes of many young readers, and the blend of sophistication and brevity makes the verses excellent bait for the poetry-reluctant. The art, digitally adapted ink and gouache, relies heavily on a sober dark brown that gives the impression of monochromatic illustration until one notes the touches of red (blood, of course), yellow (the fizz of the electrocuted goose), and warmer russet tones (in, for instance, the onrushing car that takes out the rooster). The grim polish and macabre comedy recall Lane Smith's work in The Stinky Cheese Man (BCCB 10/92); the style veers interestingly from impressive naturalistic detail (the doomed whale) to pure cartoon slapstick (the flattened roadkill newt). The charms here will appeal to lovers of Edward Gorey, Tim Burton, and their deliciously creepy kin, and the entries could make a ghastly and hilarious choice for older reading aloud with the right irreverent group. There is a table of contents, and the copyright page sorts out which poet wrote what.
Booklist - September 15, 2012 |
|
