Synopses & Reviews
Georgie Spider catches flies but never eats the little guys. Instead he cooks them up in pies. He doesn't use the legs or eyes or any artificial dyes . . . Not far from a greenish town, the Bathtub Driver is selling cut-rate imported shampoo. Georgie Spider serves up award-winning pies, while overhead on Highwire 66 there's a small problem causing an acrobat traffic jam. Ed's funny smell, Eliza's special jacket - they're all part of the picture in Polkabats and Octopus Slacks, fourteen stories about pesky snails, sleeping fruit, and one funky snowman. In the tradition of Edward Lear, Calef Brown has fashioned fourteen nonsense poems so zany that both young and old will be unable to suppress their laughter. Brown's invented words and sounds and their visual counterparts create both an audible and a visual feast. This is the kind of silliness children relish.
Review
"In a collection that celebrates loving friendship, Brown artfully captures the comforting, sometimes odd moments of true affection."
—Kirkus
Review
A wacky, postmodern array of characters. . . . Browns illustrations (are) a perfect choice of style for the poetrys quirky logic. An exuberant debut, equally enjoyable read silently or aloud.” Booklist Booklist, ALA
The deadpan tone and weird words, worthy of a carnival barker, inject a step-right-up sensibility into the humorous rhymes.” Publishers Weekly Publishers Weekly
Review
"In a collection that celebrates loving friendship, Brown artfully captures the comforting, sometimes odd moments of true affection."
and#8212;Kirkus
"[Brown] pairs a heaping spoonful of nonsense with unexpected yet genuine observations about the joy of companionship."
and#8212;Publishers Weekly, starred review
"The cheerful, rhythmic rhymes help make this book perfect for reading aloud, and it would be an ideal choice for two friends to share."
and#8212;School Library Journal
"This small book, not much bigger than a greeting card, celebrates friendship in short poems and imaginative drawings. . . . Use this as a jumping off place for creating Valentine's Day cards."
and#8212;Booklist
Review
"A modern master of nonsense verse reaches new heights of giddiness with this Halloween-themed collection. . . . Nefariously silly indeed."--
Kirkus Reviews, starred review"Brown's acrylic illustrations add to the creepy silliness: an artful mix of naive and stylized, whimsical details and vibrant color. Young readers will relish the wordplay and find themselves torn to choose a favorite among this wacky menagerie."--School Library Journal, starred review
Soup for Breakfast
"The acrylic paintings that accompany the poems are done in appropriately vegetal, soupy hues and feature the illustratorand#8217;s characteristic childlike perspective and sense of fancy...Brownand#8217;s playfulness with language provides food for thought as well as "soup for breakfast."--Kirkus Reviews and#160; "A smorgasbord of punditry and weirdness, this collection will remind kids that poetry and pictures can exist just for kicks."--Publishers Weekly
and#160; Flamingos on the Roof and#160; A New York Times Bestseller and#160; "Silly it may be, but all the best kind, prompting the reader to see the world (slightly) askew and to delight in it."--Horn Book
and#160; Tippintown: A Guided Tour and#160; "The wackiness and offbeat sophistication push the art from just plain goofy to meaningfully eccentric."and#8212;School Library Journal
and#160; Dutch Sneakers and Flea Keepers: 14 More Stories and#160; "This follow-up to Brown's Polkabats and Octopus Slacks has the same wacky creativity and energy that made the first book such a delight. . . . The far-out 'plots' and silly pictures will interest younger children but older readers especially will revel in the fanciful possibilities."and#8212;School Library Journal
Review
"A small book with a single message amplified and illustrated with cartoon-style drawings." The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Review
"Brown's imaginative wordplay is matched by his acrylic paintings depicting people and places in unusual hues. . . . Silly it may be, but all the best kind, prompting the reader to see the world (slightly) askew and to delight in it." --Horn Book Horn Book
"Brownand#8217;s lively nonsense rhymes blend the mythic and the contemporary, as do his acrylic illustrations, part folk art, part postmodern. . . . Words and pictures manage to be both clear and weird, an enjoyable mix." and#150;and#150;Booklist Booklist, ALA
"Twenty-eight more flights of fancy from a rapidly improving nabob of nonsense. . . . Composed with a fine ear for consistent rhythms and silly wordplay, these verses will tempt readers into repeat visits." --Kirkus Kirkus Reviews
"A hearty salute to eccentricity." --Publishers Weekly Publishers Weekly
"The author's strong command of poetic form and his way with words make creating nonsense rhyme look effortless...Read aloud, these poems are sure to delight listeners." 15MinutesMagazine.com
Review
"As in Flamingos on the Roof (2006) and Brownand#8217;s other titles, the wordsand#8217; playful sounds are a big part of the fun for young readers, and the lines are filled with the weird puns and unexpected rhymes . . . A good choice for energizing poetry units."and#151;Booklist
"[Brown] once again demonstrates his inventiveness, both through his poetry and his pictures."
and#151;Horn Book
Review
"This follow-up to Brown's Polkabats and Octopus Slacks has the same wacky creativity and energy that made the first book such a delight. . . . The far-out "plots" and silly pictures will interest younger children but older readers especially will revel in the fanciful possibilities." and#151;School Library Journal (4/00) School Library Journal
"Calef Brown has tapped directly into the essence of middle school humor." and#151;Chicago Tribune May, 21, 2000
Review
and#147;The wackiness and offbeat sophistication push the art from just plain goofy to meaningfully eccentric.and#8221; School Library Journal
and#147;What an imagination Brown has!and#8221; Kirkus Reviews
and#147;Brown composes dancing singsong rhymes in the style of Edward Learand#133;Tippintown is well worth a visit.and#8221; Publishers Weekly
Synopsis
A collection of illustrated poems of love and friendship teeming with wit, whimsy, and wordplay from New York Times bestselling author-illustrator, Calef Brown.
Synopsis
In Calef Brown s poem We Go Together, he jubilantly decrees: We go together / like fingers and thumbs. / Basses and drums. / Pastries and crumbs. In You Are Two (Kiwis), he muses, I am quite frequently, / reminded by thee / of a kiwi. / Either kind. Yes, silliness and sentimentality have free rein in this curious selection of childlike poems about love and friendship, each accompanied by an equally absurd, stylized acrylic painting. Like Sandol Stoddard s I Like You, We Go Together this book makes an offbeat Valentine s gift for anyone with a good sense of humor and a penchant for wordplay."
Synopsis
Because of You I was once a half-emptyer. Now I'm a half-fuller. Because of you-- the together-puller. So if I should smile or say something sunny, don't look at me funny or act surprised. Because of you, I'm optimized. In his unique and wildly imaginative manner, Calef Brown writes and illustrates this collection of heartfelt yet funny love poems. Like Sandol Stoddard's I Like You, We Go Together! is the perfect gift for Valentine's Day and all year long to give to someone you love.
Synopsis
In Calef Brownand#8217;s poem and#8220;We Go Together,and#8221; he jubilantly decrees: and#8220;We go together / like fingers and thumbs. / Basses and drums. / Pastries and crumbs.and#8221; In and#8220;You Are Two (Kiwis),and#8221; he muses, and#8220;I am quite frequently, / reminded by thee / of a kiwi. / Either kind.and#8221; Yes, silliness and sentimentality have free rein in this and#8220;curious selectionand#8221; of childlike poems about love and friendship, each accompanied by an equally absurd, stylized acrylic painting. Like Sandol Stoddardand#8217;s I Like You, We Go Together! this book makes an offbeat Valentineand#8217;s gift for anyone with a good sense of humor and a penchant for wordplay.
Synopsis
Welcome to the spooky side of Calef Brown's imagination, where things are just as scarily silly as they seem! Itand#8217;s a magic night, a silly, spooky scene. Are you ready for Hallowilloween?
Synopsis
Here is the book that Romeo would have given Juliet, Charlie Brown would have given Snoopy, and you can give to some very special friend. This special book expresses the true meaning of friendship in a long list of ways with charming accompanying illustrations
Synopsis
In the very near future you will find yourself dining on Snow Flurry at the famous Weatherbeeand#8217;s Diner. Everyone will be thereand#151;Bob and Bossy Casey, Medusaand#8217;s sister Sally, both of the Appleton Twins, and Mr. Andy Mandolin singing and#147;Biscuits in the Wind.and#8221; Remember him? You will also meet Angus, visit the silly Soggy Circus, and as soon as the moon is out (unless thereand#8217;s an eclipse), you may even glimpse a Tiny Baby Sphinx!
Until then, hereand#8217;s what I recommend: listen for flamingos, write some haiku, then take a ride in a Barnacle Built for Two. Sound good to you?
Synopsis
From the inner workings of Grandpaand#8217;s nose hair to noodles in a haystack, Calef Brown once again proves he is a master of hilarious poetic imponderables such as . . . donuts:
Why do all grownups like donuts so much?
They rave about flavors and fillings and such.
They praise all the glazes. They savor the dough.
Donuts are tasty. We get it! We know!!
Synopsis
In the tradition of Edward Lear, Calef Brown has fashioned fourteen nonsense poems so wacky that both young and old will be unable to suppress their laughter. Invented words and sounds and their visual counterparts create both an audible and a visual feast. This is the kind of silliness children (and many adults) relish.
Synopsis
Come along to Tippintownand#151;itand#8217;s time to take the tour! See the undersea graduation! Sing along with the Tippinfeather Choir! Sample several local dishes! (A buffet lunch is providedand#151;be sure to try the macaroni yogurt.) So many sights! Where is the best place for a game of hide-and-shriek? Which variety of tree has the most variety of fruit? Who stands sixteen feet tall in Tippin Square?
Would you like to discover the answers to these riddles and more? Experience Tippintown with Calef Brown, your faithful guide along the way.
About the Author
SANDOL STODDARD WARBURG is the author of more than two dozen books, including several for adults. She lives and writes in Hawaii.JACQUELINE CHWAST lives in Astoria, New York, and has illustrated over 50 books for children, including The Perilous Pit, a New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Children's Books of 1993.