Product Description

A collection of poems delving into the imaginative world of children addresses the concerns and curiosities of children--from digging holes, to foreign lands, to finding the perfect pet.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2385162 in Books
• Published on: 1999-07
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 64 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Lee ( Alligator Pie ; Fraggle Rock ) and McPhail (the Emma books; the Pig Pig books) have devised an inventive, energetic and delightfully wacky book of poems that compares with Prelutsky and Silverstein for off-the-wall humor and child-pleasing nonsense. McPhail's whimsical "kids around the block" (from the book's title poem) are all the colors of ice cream, and they are joined by a plethora of animals--a dog named Doogie who likes to boogie; Hammy, the escape hamster; an endearing flying pig named Lucy; even a dadosaurous who dries the dishes. No subject is off limits--from "A Home Like a Hiccup" to "The Fib" or "Mrs. Mitchell's Underwear." Lee's rhythmical poems beg to be sung, while McPhail's characters are a constant surprise. Both text and art feature children in costumes from all over the real world as well as from the imaginary one. Like the kids in the last poem, "Night Song," this rollicking book belongs "Around the block, / Around the world." All ages.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3 --More child-centered nonsense poems from the author of Alligator Pie (Houghton, 1975; o.p.). This collection begins with a celebration of the diversity of children, ``Oh, the kids around the block are like an / Ice cream store, /'Cause there's chocolate, and vanilla, /And there's maple and there's more . . . '' and the entries range from engaging character portraits to descriptions of feelings and whimsical wordplay. McPhail's lively watercolors underscore the joy in each selection. As in J. Patrick Lewis's A Hippopotomusn't (Dial, 1990), the poems and illustrations are artfully matched and appealingly arranged. Lee's use of words and images seem part of a real child's world, and McPhail's very realistically drawn subjects dance, think, and dream. Whether they are from around the block or around the world, children everywhere will love visiting The Ice Cream Store . --Kathleen Whalin, Belfast Public Library, ME
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews
A gifted Canadian presents a charming collection of accessible, lighthearted verse, heralding its multicultural spirit in his cheerful title poem (``Oh, the kids around the block are like an/Ice cream store,/'Cause there's chocolate, and vanilla,/And there's maple and there's more...''). Lee's lilting, upbeat voice is uniquely his, but his sly updating of the patterns, topics, and even the words of some hoary greats is a beguiling extra dimension here. There's an echo of Lear in a nonsense poem about Martians; an inspired use of grand place names, worthy of Kipling; deft versifying and a childlike imagination recalling Milne; and an implicit rebuke for the condescension of Stevenson's ``Little Indian, Sioux or Crow...'' throughout. In several entries, Lee effectively mimics children's folk rhymes; there are also lovely lyrical passages, a delightfully garbled ``Happy Earthday!'' (``So I gapped a little rift,/Yes I lipped a riddle gaffe...''), and plenty of contemporary references. Set on generous white space, McPhail's illustrations extend the meaning with imagination and humor. In his usual style, bears and pigs are especially appealing, cats oddly awkward, and humans--wistful or comical--pay admiring tribute to Sendak. An excellent contribution. (Poetry. 3-9) -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Customer Reviews

An amazing book
I am an elementary music teacher. The Ice Cream Store is the most useful poetry book I have ever read