I'm Just No Good at Rhyming

Starred review from July 3, 2017
This debut collection of verse from TV writer/producer Harris hits a poetry trifecta: high energy, rhymes that can rival Cole Porter’s (“Nothing is impossible.... Every tooth is flossable”), and a torrent of ideas. Some poems turn on simple wordplay (“The Ice Cream Mondae”); others are surprisingly introspective (“I’m shy on the outside, but inside my head?/ I’m not at all shy—I’m outgoing instead”) or appear sappy on the surface, only to catch readers off guard with an ironic swerve. Parodies of nursery rhymes, meta-poetry that builds on earlier poems à la nesting dolls (“Read me the poem that’s titled ‘The Poem That’s Titled “The Poem That’s Titled ‘The Door’ ” ’ ”), and comments stuck to the pages provide more surprises. Smith’s homage to the 1950s aesthetic of artists such as Cliff Roberts is updated with diverse characters and loaded with over-the-top raucousness, and he includes some visual jokes all his own. The whole production is a worthy heir to Silverstein, Seuss, and even Ogden Nash: “If I ever find myself holding a gecko.../ I’ll lecko.” Ages 6–up. Author’s agent: Richard Abate, 3 Arts Entertainment. Illustrator’s agent: Steven Malk, Writers House.

Starred review from July 1, 2017
A frolicking romp through the zany world of nonsense verse.In the storied tradition of Nash, Lear, and Dr. Seuss, Harris joins forces with Smith to present over 100 original poems and illustrations dedicated to having some serious fun. Visual, aural, and downright guffaw-inspiring puns and riddles abound in this wildly imaginative and cleverly illustrated debut collection. Harris and Smith unite to preach the gospel of irreverence, daring children to explore and test parental--and poetic--limits in a variety of circumstances, whether through typography, illustration, or verse. In "Toasted Knight for Lunch Again?" Smith's vividly textured multimedia double-page spread features Mama Dragon and Baby in conversation, as Baby points to lifeless Sir Gustav laid out on a plate, the feathery plume in his helmet serving as garnish, and whines, "No armor, Mom-- / I want him / With the crust off!" In " 'Tis Better," Harris cheekily weighs in on the virtues of giving versus receiving, stating: "If that thing's a black eye... / Then yeah, I believe it!" Harris and Smith even extend their banter to each other, Harris going so far as to bluntly state, "I Don't Like My Illustrator," and then Smith exacting revenge with a portrait of a snaggle-toothed, hairy-eared Harris with snot dripping from his nose. The inspired and inspiring sense of play knows no bounds. (Poetry. 5-12)

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Starred review from July 1, 2017

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

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from September 1, 2017
Grades 2-5 *Starred Review* Children are gooder and grown-ups are badder / At just about all things that matter, Harris declares in Grown-Ups Are Better (I), the first in a series of three poems of the same title. In this magnificently wacky romp through verse (rhymed and unrhymed, whispered and shouted, upside down and sometimes invisible), television producer Harris and two-time Caldecott honoree Smith prove just that, evoking childlike wonder with paeans to dragons, trick riddles, and raucous lullabies, helped along by Smith's inimitable dappled digital-media and watercolor designs. There are moments of sheer hilarity. Eight recounts the fate of a boy whose parents forgot to teach him the cardinal numberan oversight that disrupts the entire book's pagination. In I Don't Like My Illustrator, Harris ridicules Smith, only to be gravely rebuked on the facing page. Classics aren't safe either. Two Roads concludes with a condemnation of Frost ( Thanks for nothing! ), and Jack Sprat (Updated) ends not with a clean platter, but death. But it isn't all unipedes (a one-legged centipede, of course) and ginormous hippos; the revelry is tempered by earnest wisdom, too, including insights for the introverted, the downtrodden, and the hopelessly mischievous. In the closing poem, Harris beckons, Let's meet right here in twenty-five years. While this moving, madcap anthem to language is sure to stand the test of time, readers will be revisiting it far sooner than that.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2018
Harris's impressive debut--containing over one hundred poems, riddles, visual jokes, and nonsense--offers surprising detours and a dazzling variety of forms and subjects, which will keep readers engaged and on their toes. Smith's stylishly silly mixed-media illustrations raise the irreverence to sublime levels. Occasional bickering between poet and illustrator adds another layer of absurdity. This collection rewards repeat visits.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)