This collection of short texts shows a lesser-known side of Joy Cowley that children love. It’s a very good book—there’s a lot of silly in it.
A Lot of Silly
Joy Cowley knows what makes children laugh. In this book full of absurd poems and very short, silly stories, a man takes his tadpoles for a walk in his hat, a cat is surprised by its talking feet, a tiger gobbles up a dentist, ten baggy clowns do a do-wacky dance … along with many more preposterous flights of imagination.
Each fantastical suggestion is playfully expanded in the illustrations of David Barrow—a first-rate visual comedian.
Cowley channels the spirit of classic silly humorists Spike Milligan, Edward Lear and Ogden Nash in this exuberant collection for the family that emboldens us to experiment with language and play.
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Book Details
Country of Origin New Zealand / United Kingdom Reader Age 5-7 year Book Size ISBN
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Reviews
Available worldwide from your local bookstore or online.
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Youth Libraries Group –
Selected for National Poetry Day 2024
World-renowned Joy Cowley brings her silly side to this collection of rhymes and nonsense old and new, illustrated in colour by master of the absurd David Barrow. Cowley channels the spirit of classic silly humorists Spike Milligan, Edward Lear and Ogden Nash in this exuberant collection for the family that emboldens us to experiment with language and play.
Red Reading Hub –
A Lot Of Silly Joy Cowley, illustrated by David Barrow Gecko Press
Herein we have almost forty pieces of silliness by Joy Cowley, all of which I think have come from her previous works and it’s terrific to have them brought together just waiting to make both children and adults giggle.
Doubtless everyone will have different favourites but some that especially appealed to me are My Tiger that tells what happens when a child takes his tiger that is suffering from toothache to the dentist. Following the fixing of the problem the dentist instructs, “Tell him he’s not to have cake again. … It’s bad for him.” The dentist goes on to say that the tiger should in future restrict his diet to “The same as other tigers,” You can guess what happens.
Also tickling my fancy was The Big Red Rose. This features Bubba, a little elephant that sniffs said rose; it goes right up her trunk and becomes stuck. A visit to the vet with Mother Elephant proves unsuccessful despite the fact that, ‘The vet got out his telescope, / a light, some pliers, a bit of rope’. Mother Elephant then resorts to an application from a sneeze-inducing condiment. Will that remove the blockage? Ah / Ah—ah / Ah- ah- ah … ” Hurrah!
There are a number of other poems and tales about elephants and you will also find such subjects as frogs, cats, witches, a grizzly bear that gets stung by a bee and The Horrible Thing with Hairy Feet, intent on making a meal of a bunny rabbit.
Equally full of fun are David Barrow’s illustrations, which combined with the text make this a thoroughly enjoyable book to give or to share in a primary classroom.