  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 02/01/2015 Gr 3–5—This delightful collection of limericks starts with a useful definition and a few rules for composition, as well as some information on how these humorous poems function rhetorically. Cleary offers some basic advice for readers looking to pen their own poems. Limericks are meant to be funny and concise, and there are plenty of witty verses here and several that end with puns. One example involves a boy named Sonny who has spent all of his money on joke books and after eating one for lunch declares, "That tasted a little bit funny." Other fun lines include "a boy named Carmelo/[who] dreamed he ate an enormous marshmallow" and a "young spider named Deb,/who's become quite a singing celeb." An amusing, whimsical flavor runs through all of the selections here, and cute, colorful cartoon drawings accompany each offering, making this a wonderfully ridiculous collection. VERDICT Educators looking for options for a unit on poetry or limericks will appreciate this one, as will fans of the format and those who enjoy silly humor.—Teresa Pfeifer, The Springfield Renaissance School, Springfield, MA - Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 03/15/2015 Steering artfully away from content either raunchy or banal, Cleary offers a sampler of 26 original limericks animated by puns and wordplay. In prefatory remarks, he attempts to lay out “rules” for the form, but would-be rhymesters are likely to get clearer ideas about the structural and metrical ins and outs from his ensuing examples—which range from the titular remark, made by an eye “to an ear, / with a hint of disdain and a sneer,” to a frog motorist who got a flat but “didn’t panic— / she called her mechanic, / and the next thing you know, she was toad.” In cartoon images, Rowland illustrates the punch lines with a diverse cast of pop-eyed people or animal stand-ins. This entry in the Poetry Adventures series closes with annotated print and web leads, preceded by an inviting starter couplet: “A limerick poet, Ms. Sheets, / starts poems she never completes . . . ” - Copyright 2015 Booklist. Loading...
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