Technically Its Not My Fault Concrete Poems

From Blunder Woman and Muffy the Vampire Sprayer to Stuporman and The Bulk, meet the members of the Superheroes Employment Agencyand#8212;lovable misfits with oddball powers who make up for their lack of fame with an eagerness to please and a can-do attitude. These humorous, kid-friendly poems are sure to entertain while introducing readers to poetry in a fun, lighthearted, and accessible way. Told in Marilyn Singerand#8217;s witty verse and Noah Z. Jonesand#8217;s hilarious illustrations, their story will make you laugh and cheer on these champions in their quests for heroic jobs.

"An exuberant celebration of wordplay that's certain to broaden kids' understanding and appreciation of the possibilities of poetry." KIRKUS

"combines technical brilliance and goofy good humor to provide an accessible, fun-filled collection of poems...brilliant book design" Starred, SLJ

"graphically inventive sequence of concrete poems...mimes an 11-year-old's sarcastic perspective...A technically (and imaginatively) inspired typeface experiement." PW

"Youth will fall for this kind of word play, as will adults...smart, clever, and just plain fun." VOYA

"An exuberant celebration of wordplay that's certain to broaden kids' understanding and appreciation of the possibilities of poetry." KIRKUS Kirkus Reviews

"combines technical brilliance and goofy good humor to provide an accessible, fun-filled collection of poems...brilliant book design" Starred, SLJ School Library Journal, Starred

"graphically inventive sequence of concrete poems...mimes an 11-year-old's sarcastic perspective...A technically (and imaginatively) inspired typeface experiement." PW Publishers Weekly

"humorous...kid-relevant or kid-voiced...well-pitched to a youthful readership...playful layouts...a quick, funny, and painlessly poetic read." BCCB Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Youth will fall for this kind of word play, as will adults...smart, clever, and just plain fun." VOYA VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates)

"From Blunder Woman to Stuporman, this gallery of underemployed B-list superheroes is up for any task."--Kirkus "There is definite kid appeal with the superhero themes."--School Library Journal "Jones' exaggerated cartoon interpretations of these bumblers keeps things super-duper silly."--Booklist

An eleven-year-old boy named Robert voices typical—and not so typical—middle-grade concerns in this unique, memorable collection of hilarious poems. His musings cover the usual stuff, like pizza, homework, thank-you notes, and his annoying older sister. In addition, he speculates about professional wrestling for animals, wonders why no one makes scratch-and-sniff fart stickers, designs the ultimate roller coaster (complete with poisonous spiders), and deconstructs the origins of a new word, snarpy. A playful layout and ingenious graphics extend the wry humor that is sure to resonate with readers of all ages.

You may already know of Superman, Spiderman, and the Hulk, but you certainly don't know the heroes in this collection of humorous poems about a group of oddball B-list superheroes looking for work, from Marilyn Singer, author of Tallulah's Tutu and Mirror, Mirror.

John Grandits is an award-winning book and magazine designer and the author of "Beatrice Black Bear," a monthly cartoon for Click magazine. He lives in Red Bank, N.J., with his wife, Joanne, a children's librarian, and Gilbert, an evil cat. His first book of concrete poetry, Technically, It's Not My Fault, followed the adventures of a boy named Robert, who was often in conflict with his older sister, Jessie. Blue Lipstick gives Jessie a chance to tell her side of the story.