Whiskers & Rhymes

This was one of my absolute favorite books when I was growing up. Now as an adult, my father and I can still recite the clever limericks along with each other. The simple rhymes, along with the beautifully drawn illustrations, are sure to entertain children and adults alike. Far from talking down to young readers as so many children's books do nowadays, Lobel tells funny stories of characters "brushing teeth with pickle paste" that manage to subtly sneak in lessons of sharing, friendship, personal safety and more. In a world filled with garish cartoon characters peddling cheap plastic merchandise with their images, this book is one of those gifts that will be treasured throughout your child's lifetime.

It's difficult to describe how much this book has meant to my family. Our daughter is 6 years old and, until we started reading Harry Potter at bedtime, Whiskers & Rhymes was nightly fare. My husband and I have long since memorized every poem, but we have never tired of either the text or the charming, unique illustrations. My personal favorite: "Sleeping Charlie in his chair. Feathered wings have sprouted there. Away flies Charlie through the air. Across the skies to everywhere." Our first copy has gotten so much use that I bought a hardcover just for "keeps."

Some are silly, some are sad, and some are very sweet for any age. I've bought a few copies just so I can cut out and frame the great drawings with their poems. My favorite as a book lover is: "Books to the ceiling, books to the sky. My piles of books are a mile high. How I love them! ............" And my now-grown children still remember the "Man dressed all in cheese." Very nice. Very much fun.

Arnold Lobel's charming cats and plain poetry make the small things in life poignant with out being cloying."...the day was fine but now it's better, my freind has written me a letter." The poems are funny, silly and sometimes romantic. "If I were a pot and you were a pan we would sit on the shelf together. If I were a mountain and you were the snow we wouldn't much mind the weather." When I begin to read this book to my 5 year old, teenage siblings often drift into the room just to hear it all again. This book has been read in our house for 16 years and it is one of the very few that continues to charm me.