Tales of Whimsy, Verses of Woe

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Pub Date 24 Jan 2023 | Archive Date 28 Feb 2023

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Description

If your moral character is flimsy
Or your wit be rather slow,
Oh dare not read these tales of whimsy
For often do they end in woe.

Quite possibly the most dangerous book of poetry ever written. Do you dare? It’s so good it will make you sneeze. What becomes of a girl who absolutely detests the color green? What about a king who joins a punk band? And the little boy who calls up God on the telephone? Monsters, bears, wizards, and talking vegetables―This book has something for everyone. Winner of the prestigious Baldersquash Medal, which honors the very best in highfalutin nonsense.

Tim DeRoche and Daniel González, author and illustrator of the best-selling Ballad of Huck & Miguel, return with a book of verse that will delight anyone who loves Lemony Snicket or Shel Silverstein.

If your moral character is flimsy
Or your wit be rather slow,
Oh dare not read these tales of whimsy
For often do they end in woe.

Quite possibly the most dangerous book of poetry ever written. Do you...


Advance Praise

"This illustrated collection of verse indulges in fairy-tale absurdity and is sufficiently zany to have children and adults squealing with glee... A rare work of pure, unbridled fun."
-- Kirkus Reviews, starred review


"Amusing, campy, gorgeously illustrated, and generously preposterous, DeRoche's collection is a worthy addition to any middle-schooler's bookshelf. Great for fans of Shel Silverstein and Lemony Snicket."
-- Publishers Weekly BookLife Reviews, "Editors' Pick"


"Like Ogden Nash or Shel Silverstein before him, Tim DeRoche delivers a book of subversive, tall-tale poetry that will delight children and their grownups, especially those ready to squirm free of the confines of adult logic."
––Aaron Becker, Caldecott Honoree and author/illustrator of the Journey series

“Clever and witty, with charming illustrations. Makes me nostalgic for Shel Silverstein and Edward Gorey."
––Katy Towell, author of Skary Childrin and the Carousel of Sorrow

“Marshmallow cars! Mudshakes with hollandaise sauce! Airborne ungulates! A fun, fantastical collection—chock full of creative wordplay, memorable characters, and wild scenarios.”
––Calef Brown, NYT bestselling author of Polkabats and Octopus Slacks


"This illustrated collection of verse indulges in fairy-tale absurdity and is sufficiently zany to have children and adults squealing with glee... A rare work of pure, unbridled fun."
-- Kirkus...


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Average rating from 73 members


Featured Reviews

I have never laughed so hard in any collection of children's poetry. It was such a fun, fast read. Its well written and the stories were funny I think the children would love this as much as adults. I have read this book twice and both times I laughed hard. I got so many dirty looks from my family, I had to explain.why its way funny. The pictures in the book are very cute and well drawn.

I received a free copy of the book and is voluntarily writing a review

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This is a really fun book, full of, at the title implies, tales of whimsey, verses of woe. It is a joy to read and I read several of the poem/stories out loud to my wife. I would enjoy sharing this with our grandchildren. The book has some macabre aspects, but funny like Charles Adams' cartoons. I see that one critic invoked Edward Gorey, and I can see that, but these stories are very, at the core, cute but quirky. I really enjoyed this read and will return to it.

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Tales of Whimsy, Verses of Woe
brought about a splendid show
of children's tales and merry smiles
Tis' Tim DeRoche's beautiful brainchild!

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Winner of the Baldersquash Medal honoring the very best in High Falutin Nonsense since its inception in 1894. Past recipients include Shel Silverstein, Roald Dahl and Lemony Snicket.

"Tales of Whimsy, Verses of Woe" written by Tim DeRoche and illustrated by Daniel Gonzalez is a book of tall tales told through the medium of poetry. The poems are sure to charm both middle school children and adults alike. The rhymes are clever and the pen and ink drawings are delightful.

Here are a few highlights:

"Mary Melissa Miranda McGurk
was uncommonly fond of homework...
And the easiest way to incur Mary's wrath?
Just switch on the TV when she worked on her math..."
**Too much homework, too much information. Mary's head grew bigger and bigger. Her head exploded...not a pretty sight!

"Mr. Banana, a sensitive fellow,
Took offense when the Carrot called him yellow...
Miss Pepper was insulted not, when the Carrot remarked, "Oh my, you're hot."

"There was never a fish so ambitious
As the one they called Salmon Delicious
"If I must be eaten", he told a friend,
In the mouth of the King will I meet my end."
** But alas-a coup...the King is replaced by a new leader....a vegetarian! What was Salmon to do?

"Mommy, oh Mommy!
Please come to my room,
For a hideous witch
Just rode in on a broom."
** The witch, immerging from the fog, turns Mommy into a frog.

"Bailey O'Bannon hated all that was green.
"I must rid the world of that heinous hue,
For I am partial to red and to blue...
Emeralds, grass, and Ireland too-
All will look better in red and blue..."
** A sales clerk, with a different agenda, switches Bailey's color choice of paint.

A totally fun poetry collection. Highly recommended

Thank you Redtail Press and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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This book was delightfully witty, with words that rhyme perfectly and goofily. The stories make you giggle and the illustrations add a great touch. It's the perfect kid's poetry book. It's a great introduction to the idea of poetry and rhyming, and it gets kids interested by making them at their level about things that keep their attention: kings in punk bands, too much homework, bears in boats.

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Thank you to Netgalley and Redtail Press for the opportunity to read this ARC. #netgalley #talesofwhimsyversesofwoe

Reading this book gave me so much of Shel Silverstein vibes. I loved reading his books when I was a kid! I sometimes check out his books at the library for old times sake. This was as I said It felt similar to Shel Silverstein but the author definitely has its own style. It was funny, it was cute, it had some creepy ones. I think kids will really enjoy this book and I enjoyed it myself.

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Thank you to Redtail Press and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

Tales of Whimsy, Verses of Woe is like Shel Silverstein meets Lemony Snicket. The poems are often humorous with a deliciously dark twist. The teacher and word nerd in me delighted in the complex vocabulary sprinkled throughout the book. I cannot wait to share this fun poetry collection with my students!

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This is a delightful collection of poetry! My kids and I loved it! We will definitely return to this again and again. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

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This was great. Very reminiscent of Shel Silverstein. I can't wait to use this with my students. My boys will love the silly rhymes and funny stories. Some of the poems are loner, and some are very short. They're all very fun and whimsical. This is the kind of thing that gets kids excited to read.

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These poems were absolutely wonderful! Great for any adult, or grown child who enjoys rhyme and phrase. Best read aloud, which is exactly what I did! My husband and I laughed and throughly enjoyed this unexpected gem in my NetGalley reads. I will definitely be purchasing a copy when this is released.

Thanks so much to the publisher for an inventive and creatively lyrical joy.

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This was a very quick and fun read. It reminded me of Shel Silverstein's work which I absolutely love. Some of the poems were funny and entertaining. Some poems were long, while a few were short. I definitely think that school-aged children will love this book.

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I don’t know about you, but I have and will always be a huge fan of highfalutin nonsense and the annual Baldersquash reward has been given to many of my favorite works. So when I was given the opportunity to read and review this upcoming anthology of absurd poems I absolutely jumped at the opportunity.

Every bit of this anthology of odd poems greatly reminded me of Shel Silverstein and Edward Gorey in the absolute best of ways. I truly enjoyed the long form mishaps of the overly studious young girl, Mary Melissa Miranda McGurk, and the short but sweet ‘Twas Meant For You caused me to snort in the most unladylike fashion.

I will say that the rhythm of a few poems were a bit hard to find, but I was very amused by the author’s note that acknowledged some of the stretches.

All in all, I can honestly see this becoming this generation’s A Light in the Attic, and that’s the highest praise I think I can give in this genre.

Thank you so very much to Netgalley and Redtail Press for the opportunity to read and review this upcoming title in exchange of my honest review.

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'Tales of Whimsy, Verses of Woe' was an enjoyable read that made my nine-year-old and I giggle. It was packed full of nonsense poems of all lengths and rhyming structures - a great discussion point. We particularly enjoyed reading 'Bailey 'O Bannon' and 'The One-Man Band' made my daughter howl with laughter and she's promptly learnt it by heart to perform to her class.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Absolutely loved this! The cover, the poems and the drawings reminded me so much of Shel Silverstein's books! It brought back so much nostalgia. The poems were fun and whimsical! Also funny in parts too! Definitely recommend! Will be buying this to add to my collection of Shel Silverstein books, since they're so similar. Wish there would of been more poems but it was such a fun fast read!

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me this for my honest review.

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This poetry collection of verses was so much fun to read. I loved almost all of the poems so much. This book reminded me of the works of Shel Silverstein and others similar to that style that I loved reading when I was a child. I recommend this collection to children and anyone interested in having a good time while reading. I know that I would have loved this book as a child. This will definitely be a book that I will be picking up for my book collection. It was so entertaining.

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Tales of Whimsy, Verses of Woe is a book of children's poetry with illustrations. It's very reminiscent of Shel Silverstein and Edward Gorey. It's sure to appeal to kids who like poetry or shorter books. I also think books like this are great way to introduce poetry to reluctant students. The illustrations are whimsical and fun.

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Having grown up with books like "Where the Sidewalk Ends" and "A Light in the Attic" by Shel Silverstein, Tales of Whimsy, Verses of Woe gave me a great nostalgic feeling as I was reading this to my kids. They found the short whitty poems to be hilarious really enjoyed the comical ridiculousness of them.

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Quick nonsense read that makes you chuckle & will put a smile on your face. Tim Roche without a doubt has cemented his place among authors such as Roald Dahl, who bring you a different reality and keep you entertained. Can’t wait to read this to my son.

Thank you #NetGalley and Retail Press for providing me with an ARC for my honest review

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This was perfect for fans of Shel Silverstein, including both the poem and the art. This reminded me so much of the poetry books I read when I was a kid. A classic in the making.

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Hilarious tales with a perfect rhythm to be performed. Lovely illustrations too. Thanks to the author and publisher for an egalley.

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*I was provided at ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

I really enjoyed this collection of poems! Great for fans of Shel Silverstein, Edward Gorey and Roald Dahl. A little bit odd and a whole lot of unusual.

A few of my favorites were "The One-Man Band," "The Contraption" and "The Phone Call!"

I also think this is definitely something you will want to read as a physical book for the artwork alone!

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I’d rhyme if I could
But I can’t.

Thank goodness the authors can, and boy, do they do right! Their imagination is unlimited, and the drawings are hilarious! These are snippets and stories to be remembered, memorized and recited for years to come!

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This is everything you think a humorous poetry book is going to be it’s uplifting, funny and sometimes all out lol ridiculous but either way it’s so worth reading. If poems are written to make you feel then these were made to let the reader feel happy this is definitely a good pick me up for days you’re feeling down something that makes you laugh even when you’re not intending to. I thoroughly enjoyed these humorous poems and would definitely read more from this author or poet rather. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

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This was such a fun read -- somewhere between Shel Silverstein and the Gashlycrumb Tinies! Definitely a key addition to a children's poetry collection with content kids of all ages (and adults!) can appreciate.

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i thought that it was really cute and really appreciated the short stories! I thought that the stories were all very creative and well thought up.

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I had never heard of the Baldersquash Medal before I read this book, so I had to look it up. It is all about picking the best in “highfalutin’ nonsense.” Check out the author’s Instagram page for more about it. This book certainly qualifies.

It is packed full of zany rhymes, great illustrations, tongue-twisters, and much more fun. This is hilarity at its best. I don’t normally read poetry books, but this one was a hoot! Fans of Shel Silverstein will enjoy this.

Each poem is short and sweet. The drawings are whimsical and just odd enough to appeal to readers of any age. I found myself laughing out loud while reading this one. Highly recommended.

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It’s not Shel Silverstein fun, but it’s still fun. And those like drawings! Those are whimsy. I would buy this book just to color those illustrations. Lovely.

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This collection has the potential to turn kids who turn up their noses at poetry into poetry fans. The works included here are unique, sometimes odd and often funny. They are accompanied by cartoon-like illustrations. Most kids are sure to chuckle at ntries such as The One Man Band.

This title is definitely worth a look.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Redtail Press for this title. All opinions are my own.

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It's as if Shel Silverstein and Dr. Seuss had a baby. A fun, nonsensical book of poetry and prose. The drawings are delightful and will be must more appreciated in a print book than via Kindle. This would be a GREAT book for a read aloud to elementary school students.

"If your moral character is flimsy
Or your wit be rather slow,
Oh dare not read these tales of whimsy
For often do they end in woe."

Thanks to NetGalley and Redtail Press for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

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Children in my school love poetry books and I think they would like this one too. The illustrations are fun and add to each story or poem. Some of the poems were very witty and silly and others we’re just okay. I don’t mind the occasional word for students to look up and a few like borogove stumped me. And a few of the funnier to me poems had lines that I were more for an older reader. At times I found the rhyming rhythm hard to figure out. I would purchase this for a school library shelf but in all honesty I would probably suggest Silverstein over this for elementary aged readers. In my ARC I had formatting issues when using the Kindle app that were not an issue using the NetGalley app. Thank you to NetGalley and RedTail Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Tales of Whimsy, Verses of Woe reminds me so much of Shel Silverstein's writings! I bookmarked a few of these poems to read with my kids for our weekly poetry tea time.

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A delightfully quirky collection of poems perfect for fans of Shel Silverstein. The captivating illustrations that accompany these verses make even more enjoyable.

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If you like Shel Silverstein, Edward Gorey or Roald Dahl this is the book for you! the words and the illustrations were a devilish pleasure to share with those who need and enjoy a clever laugh.

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A fun and zany collection of poems and illustrations reminiscent of Shel Silverstein's collections. Children and adults will enjoy this book.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

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A big thank-you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for giving me a copy of this book for an unbiased review.

4/5 - Really liked it.

This was a fun book of ridiculously and delightfully whimsical poetry, ranging from the silly and nonsensical to the somewhat dark (but in a good way). This appealed well to my sense of humor and feels like a grown-up version of Shel Silverstein or Dr. Seuss, but with all the childish delight that a book of somewhat irreverent poetry might contain. I enjoyed this - a good, quick read to boost your mood!

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This silly, fun collection of poems invokes the similarities of a collection of Shell Silverstein down to the kooky black and white illustrations. When incorporated in a classroom, this would be an enticing way to encourage students to read aloud and to write their own original poetry. I also liked how they consistently embedded big vocabulary words to increase the reader's knowledge bank.

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This new book didn’t win the Baldersquash award by mistake. It’s funny, silly, ridiculous, whimsical, and yet so smart you’ll do a few double takes at both the author and illustrative cleverness.

There is no way around the comparisons to Shel Silverstein, but you’ll be disappointed if you go in expecting this to be a continuation of Mr. Silverstein’s work. It’s not, and that just wouldn’t be fair to any author. Tales of Whimsy, Verses of Woe stands on its own merits- please give it a chance to be itself.

That being said, it made me feel like a kid again. I did follow it up with a re-read of a Siverstein classic, simply because the joy it built up inside my heart drew me back to a favorite from my childhood. Reading fuels and empowers your brain, and books like this help kids believe that anything is possible. I’ll display it at the library, and highly recommend it.

Grateful thanks to NetGalley and Redtail Press for access to a digital ARC, and to Tim DeRoche and Daniel González for making my heart soar with recollections of my beloved childhood library adventures.

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This book reminded me so much of Shel Silverstein mixed with Edward Gorey. Many of the poems have sharp with and funny accompanying illustrations. Some of the poems felt more clever than others but all in all this was a delight to read. I especially enjoyed the poem about a missed call from God.

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Very reminiscent of Shel Silverstein in style, humor and illustration. Children love rhyme and nonsense so I think it would be well received in an elementary school classroom.

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Oh my what a fun read and I don’t normally enjoy poetry.
Here we have a mashup of Dr. Seuss, Shel Silverstein and a lesser known book, The Bloody Hungry Spleen by Allan Wolf.

This is a fun and silly book of nonsense and a winner of the annual Baldersquash medal. Yes that one was new to me too. It seems to be a rather mysterious award and honors the very best in highfalutin nonsense.

Every bit of this anthology of odd poems are completely engaging and enhanced by the illustrations.

I enjoyed Carrot Talk where Mis Pepper was insulted not by Carrrot.

Then there is now to start your morning…
I brush my teeth with superglue,
And wash my face—oh yes I do—
With leftover soup I find in the trash
(Which leaves my skin with a nasty rash).

And kids are SURE to love One Man Band who by the way needs no instruments…
While I can make all kinds of noise, It’s ’specially fun to burp.
And when I’ve got some extra time, I also like to slurp.
Sneezing, too, is quite a sound And glorious fun to boot.
But farting is my favorite noise:
There’s nothing like a toot.

I of course noticed the rhythm of a few poems as a bit hard to find, but it’s cool how the author’s note acknowledges some of the stretches. 

Oh please author DeRoche and illustrator Gonzalez let this be the first of many more anthologies. I beg for more!

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Kids will love these dark, funny, fantastical poems and illustrations which are guaranteed to have them laughing out loud. Very clever, each one surprised me in some way. This is a great way to introduce kids to poetry - they'll be having so much fun, they won't realize that they're reading an art form that many unfortunately choose to ignore.

Well done, TD!

My thanks to Redtail Press for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book via NetGalley. Publication is set for 1/24/23. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given.

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Tales of Whimsy, Verses of Woe is a delightful collection of short stories told in verse that bring laughter and joy. My kids enjoyed listening to the story of Mary Melissa Miranda McGurk her story was so fantastic and ended in such woe. The tales found in this book are playful and fun with a slight twist that make them full of woe by the end. This book would work so well to aid in taking a brain break and having a good chuckle to clear one’s head.

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This is a fun collection of children's poetry. Ranking right up there with the best and most classic children's poetry, kids in that later elementary grade level will appreciate the quirky, silly and especially the gross humor.

I will recommend this to teachers and older kids who are looking for funny poetry.

Thanks to Redtail Press and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book of poems and tales!

I so enjoyed this book of short stories all done in verse, how amazing. It reminds me so much of Dr. Seuss or Shel Silverstein. The first tale is called Mary Melissa Miranda McGurk and she could be me! The tales draw you in and wish the book was longer!

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Very similar to Shel Silverstein in writing style and illustrations. Many children are likely to appreciate the whimsy and darkness of this collection. (However, for some a few of the poems may be too dark). A solid addition to juvenile poetry collections.

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Thank you for this advanced copy. This book is unique and full of tales of woe, as the title suggests. I expected something similar to Shel Silverstein because of the cover art and black & white style.

This book has stories that will delight children and adults. The plot of each poem is fun for school-aged children. I didn't care for the rhyme structure of some of the poems as I often tripped over words and had to reread lines. As a teacher, I wondered if some of my students would also struggle with some of these same lines.

Overall, this book made me smile and I know children will love the outlandish plots!

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In this absurdly excellent book of verse, children of all ages will be delighted by the wit and witticism of author Tim Deroche and illustrator Daniel Gonzalez. Much like the late great Shel Silverstein, this poetry duo has created a book for generations to come. From punk rock monarchs to imaginative machines, this book of poetry is sure to engage even the most stubborn of your poetry dissenters—an excellent and humorous book to add to your library.

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There are so many descriptive words that fit this wonderful book. Everyone of them would be right! I read this one several times, both to my self and an audience and absolutely everyone loved it. There are so few books pf poetry written for such a large, varied audience that's always a pleasure to find another. Would I recommend it? Absolutely. Treat yourself and your fellow readers.

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Amusing Poetical Tales

In the style reminiscent of Shel Silverstein, the author presents a book of short poems with amusing illustrations. It was a quick read and quite funny in places.

A winner of the Baldersquash medal, it lives up to it’s name with plenty of nonsense in the verses. Although the book can appeal to adults, I think the read audience is children. Elementary school children love nonsense and the illustrations will definitely appeal to that group

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

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The target audience of children will probably love this book filled with silly, lighthearted poems. I found the Kindle format, or the preprint format, difficult to read, causing confusion as to when the poems began or ended. Hopefully, that will not be a problem with the completed published work. Thanks to NetGalley and Redtail Press for providing an ARC.

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We loved this book. The adults read it and laughed so much that we thought it only fair to share the tales and verses with the children. They laughed and giggles just as much as we did. A delightful collection of witty and rather twisted tales.

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Perfect for children -- and adults -- who also enjoy the poetry of Shel Silverstein or the works of Edward Gorey. Almost every poem got a chuckle out of me. They're all silly; a few were brilliantly highbrow, in fact. The book is purportedly the "winner of the Baldersquash Medal, honoring the very best in High Falutin Nonsense since its inception in 1894" (a joke, of course, but one that has gone over the heads of some reviewers on Goodreads).

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Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. All opinions are my own.

A fun book that will help introduce children to poetry and short stories. Like all books of it's kind, some poems appeal more to me then others (I adore The Beast in the Cave and The Mystery Poem a lot).It's just a fun book to have on hand.

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This was fun even for an adult. It reminded me of Dr. Seuss or Shel Silverstein. It was nonsensical in the most delightful way and adults and kids would enjoy

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I was laughing while reading these poems, either to myself or aloud. These poems reminded me of Shel Silversttein and Jack Prelutsky's yarns, about unfriendly alligators and hungry kid islands.

We also get nuggets of wisdom wrapped within these poems, like how it's okay to take familiar roads and ask for advice. i hope Tim DeRoche and Daniel Gonzalez collaborate again.

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