Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich

I simply MUST put in a plug for this fabulous book! As a mom and an illustrator, I was drawn to the amazing art, and I thought perhaps the kids would like it, too. Oh, MAN! It delivered on all points: Amazing art, perfect rhyme (SO hard to find rhyme that really works in a book; it's spot on), and YES- the kids love it and keep going back to read it over and over. I think they do view it as a bit of a fun challenge- there are lots of details and subtleties in the art and text. And I did have to sing "The Girl from Ipanema" to them, because they've never heard it. Overall-YES! Make more books like this, Adam Rex!

Okay. So here was my dilemma. I was supposed to review a children's book of poetry and I had several choices in front of me. I could review the inner city take on "Casey At the Bat". I could do the meaningful one about a Caribbean country. I could do the one about various epitaphs to people of different professions (I am not making this up). Or I could do the goofy monster one. And the ball fell in the goofy monster's court by a loooong shot. You hold "Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich" in your hands, and you may not be sure whether or not to trust it. Should I give this to a child? Will they actually enjoy it? Then you read the tiny byline under the title. "And other stories you're sure to like, because they're all about monsters, and some of them are also about food. You like food, don't you? Well, all right then". Any picture book of poetry that says, "Well, all right then", on its cover has won my irony-laden little heart. It's just a nice plus that the poems inside just happen to be funny, beautifully illustrated, and interesting in all sorts of different ways. Monsters. It's hard not to love `em. Especially classic movie monsters. Now what we have here are all the monsters you could think of put in a variety of humorous and peculiar situations. There's "Count Dracula: Doesn't Know He's Been Walking Around All Night With Spinach In His Teeth". Or howzabout, "The Mummy: Won't Go To His Eternal Rest Without a Story and Some Cookies"? They're all here, illustrated in a vast variety of ways by the ultra-talented Adam Rex. Each poem is a scintillating series of new ideas involving all sorts of critters. Hidden in the pictures as well are limericks from the fictional, "Michelle & VonFuzz Limerical Guide To Monsters". Kids will lap up the goofy pictures and creatures. Adults will find much to love in the overall humor. Altogether, this book's a trip. Of course, this is not the only children's picture book to recently bring up some classic monsters from the past. "Mommy?", by Maurice Sendak is also a wonderful monsterish tribute to the likes of The Mummy, Frankenstein, the Wolf Man, etc. What is to account for this ghoulish trend in children's picture book literature? Haven't a clue. Maybe publishers have eschewed such ideas in the past and are only right now ready for them. That's my theory, anyway. So will children like this book? I mean, it does do some pretty amusing grown-up jokes that'll soar right over the l'il kiddies' heads. Heck, even the Dedications in this book are funny. They're listed as "Dedications And/Or Weaknesses" and include things like, "For Scott - Light Beer". And then there was the laugh-out-loud poem (part of a running gag), "Now the Phantom of the Opera Can't Get `The Girl From Ipanema' Out of His Head w/a Peppercorn Coulis". But in spite of all of these, you can't get past the fact that the book is really funny AND fun to read. The pictures will suck children in immediately, and the fact that there are elements like the c

Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich is my favorite book of the year. I just can't say enough good things about it. Adam Rex is one of those disgustingly intelligent and talented people who GETS it, who throws personality in the face of convention...and food in the faces of classic monsters. I laugh myself silly every time I pick up Frankenstein. Nothing is sacred. Adam covers everything from the Phantom of the Opera's musical taste (curse that song!) to Dracula's fondness for iron-rich vegetables (oh, the expression on his face!) to the hazards of automobile ownership in a monster-plagued Tokyo (ewwww!). It's brilliant. It's habit-forming. It's a book you're going to have to buy two of--one for your kids, and one for yourself. Be sure to read every page, cover to cover (including the covers). Go ahead. Try not to laugh. I dare you.

*:-.,_,.-:*'``'*:-.,_,.-:*'``'*:-.,_,.-:*'``'*:.,_,.-:*'``'*:- And be sure to by an extra for your kids! I don't have children and I will be buying several copies for other adults who don't have kids. This book is BRILLIANT and BEAUTIFUL and FUNNY! You can read it OVER and OVER again and I can't get over the AWESOME illustrations. This man is a Genius and I will now have to own every thing he comes out with. *:-.,_,.-:*'``'*:-.,_,.-:*'``'*:-.,_,.-:*'``'*:.,_,.-:*'``'*:-.,

hysterical book!! i found myself laughing through the whole book as i tried to read it to my boys and sing the songs. rex's painting are amazing and his sense of humor...well you'll just have to buy it. he is definitely up and coming-if he hasn't already left us in the dirt! think john schieska meets norman rockwell.