Bubblegum Delicious

A love poem to a jelly donut, an ode to a rocking chair, quatrains by and about bugs and beetles... it's Canadian bard Dennis Lee, at his finest. This quirky poet has been amusing readers for decades with verses both silly and sweet, in such mouthwatering titles as Dinosaur Dinner (With a Slice of Alligator Pie). In Bubblegum Delicious, Lee takes the rhythms of childhood playgrounds and creates verses bursting with appeal, from the wacky "Goober and Guck" ("You'll quack like a duck and / You'll smell like a truck-- / So eat your nice sandwich / Of goober and guck!"), to the poignant "If Lonesome Was a Pot of Gold," to the macabre "Dead Men in Edmonton." A small boy and his dog lead readers through the collection, with a host of hilariously bizarre and uncouth insects slipping in their two cents' worth whenever they can. ("You bug me, slug, you bug me. / You bug me all day long. / So tug your coif and bug right off, / Before I do you wrong.")

Acclaimed illustrator David McPhail bounces right along with Lee on this boisterous ride, capturing the boyish exuberance, whimsy, and tender moments of each verse. After devouring Bubblegum Delicious, readers of all ages will be chomping at the bit for more from the remarkable Dennis Lee. (Ages 6 and older) --Emilie Coulter