Polkabats and Octopus Slacks: 14 Stories

I heard Daniel Pinkwater and Scott Simon review this book and read it together on NPR years ago and I simply had to have it. I have subesequently bought all of Mr. Brown's other books. Delightful and entertaining. My 3 year old loves them all.

I read this book with great delight at a friends house and ordered 5 the next day. One for my son who at the age of 3 understands that silly is a good thing ... and the rest for baby gifts. Any baby raised on PolkaBats and Octopus Slacks is sure to be well-adjusted and have a great sense of humor. It's a real pleasure to the eyes, ears and soul! "Kick it funky snowguys and gals!"

Whenever I pick up this book to read to my 3-year-old, she makes me read the whole thing (14 stories). It's a good thing they're so much fun. My older child likes them too.

I am a third year college student and recently celebrated by 19th birthday. When my good friend handed me my gift and I tore apart the colorful wrapping paper to find an even more colorful children's book, I was surprised to say the least. A children's book called Polkabats and Octopus Slacks is not your typical birthday present for a 19 year old. However, I'd have to say it is the best gift I've received, possibly for any of my birthdays. It has offered endless enjoyment... a silly stress-reliever for myself as well as a great entertainment device for visitors. The vibrantly colored illustrations are unique and each time you look through the book, you find more and more interesting details about each illustration. My favorite poems are Kansas City Octopus, Ed, Funky Snowman, and Polkabats. This will certainly remain on my list of all-time favorite books, and will be passed down to my children and theirs. Silly children's books... one of life's most simple, wonderful pleasures.

Anytime I look for a new book for my daughter, I always try to find something that I'll like too--because if she likes it, you know I'll be reading it to her several hundred times! Thankfully, "Polkabats and Octopus Slacks" is one of those books. I don't know what I like more...the folk-art illustrations or the silly poems. Calef Brown captures the whimsy of Shel Silverstein's "Where the Sidewalk Ends," with poems that are easy to memorize and fun to recite. This book became a bedtime favorite at our house in record time!