Sad Underwear & Other Complications; More Poems for Children & Their Parents

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Overview

"HIGHLY ENTERTAINING...SIT BACK IN THE BUBBLES AND ENJOY."

—The Philadelphia Inquirer



Brenda Kovner, a Washington columnist, advice dispenser, and amateur psychologist, doesn't consider herself intrusive, just extremely interested in helping. If she knows the answer, she can't shut up—even if no one's listening.



Since Brenda knows what's best—for everyone—she secretly ...
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More About This Book

Overview

"HIGHLY ENTERTAINING...SIT BACK IN THE BUBBLES AND ENJOY."

—The Philadelphia Inquirer



Brenda Kovner, a Washington columnist, advice dispenser, and amateur psychologist, doesn't consider herself intrusive, just extremely interested in helping. If she knows the answer, she can't shut up—even if no one's listening.



Since Brenda knows what's best—for everyone—she secretly decides she must murder her son Wally's prospective father-in-law, before he can get to Wally. She has a foolproof plan. In fact, she has a million of them. But first she's got a few kinky desires of her own to satisfy (.



"Viorst keeps us laughing....A serious look at family and cultural issues while still a farce, narrated by a needling Machiavellian who keeps winning us over."

—San Francisco Chronicle



"A wry look at the follies of superficial urbanites...Enjoy."

—The Washington Post Book World



"Acerbic and extremely funny...Done with the arch, sardonic flavor familiar to readers of Ms. Viorst."

—The Baltimore Sun

A collection of poems that examines a wide variety of feelings and experiences from a child's point of view.

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Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly
Fans of Viorst's If I Were in Charge of the World will welcome this confection of light verse. Indicative of the child-centered approach, the category ``Stuff You Should Know'' includes the poem ``Item of Information'': ``Just in case/ You were wondering what a disgrace is:/ It's, when you're in public,/ Scratching in private places.'' A poem in the ``Questions'' section asks, ``Who decided that vegetables are something a growing child needs?'' Other sections contain built-up knock-knock jokes or revamped fairy tales (e.g., Beauty laments that, once the spell was broken, ``everyone thinks he's the beauty and I'm the beast''). Less fanciful than his full-color illustrations for Viorst's The Alphabet from Z to A, Hull's pen-and-ink drawings fill the pages with birds, unicorns, flowers and moons, but they do not reflect the variety of topics Viorst addresses. These poems skim the surface, breaking no new ground, but children will be entertained by their breezy simplicity and humor. Ages 7-up. (Apr.)
Children's Literature - Rae Valabek
This collection of poetry is arranged by topics that do interest children. The type of material ranges from knock-knock jokes and fairy tales to "stuff you should know." Judith Viorst's poems are reminiscent of Shel Silverstein's Light in the Attic and Jack Pretlustky's New Kid on the Block. The fairy tale poems retell fairy tales sometimes with an unusual twist. The title comes from a knock-knock poem called "Sad Underwear" which includes this line, "When everything is sad it even includes my underwear." Everyday feelings of children are captured in this book. This collection of poems would be a good choice for reading aloud and an would also serve as an excellent introduction to the poetry genre.
School Library Journal
Gr 3-6-From ``The Seventh Swimming Lesson,'' in which Sally finally puts her face in the water, to a practical version of ``Sleeping Beauty,'' this is an inspired book of verse guaranteed to the tickle the humerus again and again. Yet, poignancy is present, too. The jolly fat boy isn't mirthful when he's alone, and ``What Dads Do'' is so amusingly correct that readers will not be prepared for the final line, ``I wish I still had one.'' All in all, these 70-odd poems will challenge, charm, and delight any child-or adult-who chooses to read them. A great many of the verses would be perfect for reading aloud and for transforming into wonderful choral-reading arrangements. Both humorous and dreamlike pen-and-ink illustrations are scattered throughout. Run out in your skivvies, if necessary, to secure a copy of this fine book. It will make children laugh themselves silly.-Amy Adler, Toledo-Lucas County Public Library, OH
Mary Harris Veeder
The title and wry tone of this book of poems will touch middle-school sensibilities. Some poems are clearly from an upper-middle-class world ("I'm Freaking! I'm Freaking! My Mom's Gone Antiquing" ), and there are more meditative poems than might be expected. In one, the miller's daughter from the fairy tale "Rumpelstiltskin" wonders, late in her life, if she could have saved the Rumpelstiltskin from being torn apart by his rage. However, there's really no "deep meaning" to debate: children will simply like the snap and clarity of the poems and have fun with the language Viorst uses.
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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780786202362
  • Publisher: Macmillan Library Reference
  • Publication date: 5/1/1994
  • Pages: 453

Meet the Author

Judith Viorst was born and brought up in New Jersey, graduated from Rutgers University, moved to Greenwich Village, and has lived in Washington, D.C., since 1960, when she married Milton Viorst, a political writer. They have three sons and seven grandchildren. Viorst writes in many different areas: science books, children’s picture books, adult fiction and nonfiction, poetry for children and adults, and musicals, which are still performed on stages around the country. She is best known for her beloved picture book, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.

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Read an Excerpt

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

Will they let me go when I need to go to the bathroom?

And what if I get lost on my way back to class?

And what if all of the other kids are a hundred, a thousand,

a million times smarter than I am?

And what if we have a spelling test, or a reading test, or

an...anything test, and I'm the only person who doesn't pass?

And what if my teacher decides that she doesn't like me?

And what if all of a sudden a tooth gets loose?

And what if I can't find my lunch, or I step on my lunch, or

I (oops) drop my lunch down someplace like the toilet?

Will they just let me starve or will somebody lend me a

sandwich? A cookie? A cracker? An apple? Some juice?

And what if they say, "Do this," and I don't understand them?

And what if there's teams, and nobody picks me to play?

And what if I took off my sneakers, and also my socks, and

also my jeans and my sweatshirt and T-shirt,

And started the first day of school on the second day?

CREDIT

You asked me to do it.

I promised to do it.

I planned to do it.

I started to do it.

I really meant to do it.

Except I forgot.

Couldn't I get some credit

For promising,

Planning,

Starting,

And really meaning to do it?

Guess not.

Copyright © 1995 by Judith Viorst

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