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Garbage Delight: Another Helping    by Dennis Lee & Maryann Kovalski Amazon.com order for
Garbage Delight
by Dennis Lee
Order:  USA  Can
Key Porter, 2002 (2002)
Hardcover
* * *   Reviewed by Hilary Williamson

Garbage Delight provides 'Another Helping' of an old favorite, poems by the author of the popular Alligator Pie. Maryann Kovalski's raccoon illustrations are the perfect accompaniment. From Half Way Dressed to Goofus, Dennis Lee gives us subversive verses that capture the point of view of the rebel within every child (and quite a few adults too), in a Canadian context.

I've always enjoyed 'Shoot it from cannons or use it for glue' Mulligan Stew, but I don't recall reading I Eat Kids Yum Yum! before and I love it! A monster sings its 'mighty monster song' and a little girl sings right back, 'I eat monsters burp! / They make me squeal and slurp' and scares that poor monster off for good. The Moon is a delightful musing on where in the world other children might be watching the night sky ... 'we haven't met yet / But we might do soon.' And every adult should read and learn from What Will You Be?

There is The Diner who becomes dinner, the 'Whispery fizz' of The Secret Song, verses about the snow experience, and (reminiscent of The Cat Came Back) The Bratty Brother. A Walk in the Woods is magical, with wild ones nearby and listening, and The Coming of the Teddy Bears is perfect for bedtime. But there's nothing like the robust rhythm of the title poem, the raccoon's own Garbage Delight ... 'If you want to see grins / All the way to my shins, / Just give me some Garbage Delight'.

Garbage Delight is an eclectic collection of verse that can be enjoyed on different levels by children and their families - if you enjoy whimsical poetry, then you really should own a copy.

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