From Powells.com
Hot new releases and under-the-radar gems for adults and kids.
Staff Pick
This collection of funny, witty poetry is sure to be a hit with kids (and immature grown-ups). Lane Smith’s illustrations add a delightful dose of extra silliness. Expect many rereads and lots of giggles, guffaws, and belly laughs. Recommended By Jennifer H., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
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."
Meet Chris Harris, the 21st-century Shel Silverstein! Already 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: from the ongoing rivalry between the author and illustrator, to the mysteriously misnumbered pages that can only be deciphered by a certain code-cracking poem, to the rhyming fact-checker in the footnotes who points out when "poetic license" gets out of hand. 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!
Review
"There once was a poet named Chris,
Whose book is quite hard to dismiss,
His poetry skill
Gives me quite a thrill,
And it's hard to write poetry, particularly if it's supposed to rhyme or fit into a certain rhythm, and if you don't believe me, take a look at this."
Lemony Snicket, bestselling author of A Series of Unfortunate Events and All the Wrong Questions
Review
"This book, with its loony poems and seriously weird illustrations, is 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
Review
"I'm just no good at describing how wonderful this book is. Smart and sweet, wild and wicked, brilliantly funny — it's everything a book for kids should be."
BJ Novak, actor and bestselling author of The Book With No Pictures
Review
"A frolicking romp through the zany world of nonsense verse....Visual, aural, and downright guffaw-inspiring puns and riddles abound in this wildly imaginative and cleverly illustrated debut collection. The inspired and inspiring sense of play knows no bounds."
Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
Review
"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 the Author
Chris Harris is a writer and executive producer for How I Met Your Mother and The Great Indoors, 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, The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs, Math Curse, and Science Verse, among others. His books have been New York Times Best Illustrated Books on four occasions. In 2012 the Eric Carle Museum named him an Honor Artist for lifelong innovation in the field of children's books, and in 2014 he received the Society of Illustrators Lifetime Achievement award. Lane and his wife, book designer Molly Leach, live in rural Connecticut.