If Shel Silverstein and Jack Prelutsky got together and made Bob Odenkirk, the result would be the poetry book, Zilot & Other Important Rhymes. And I got all that from the first three poems.I was thinking when I thought that, what kind of other madness can be next? Trust me, I still was not prepared even knowing what kind of madness those classic writers could make (because I was
unfamiliar with Mr. Odenkirk’s particular humor). There are more rhymes, there were really gross shoelaces, there were babies that got fussed over and there were garbage trucks. Plus, there are more things too, like a picnic in the parking lot of the park and a small man living in a tuna can.
And then we have Erin Odenkirk who is the one tasked with putting pen to paper (or however they do it today) to create the images that illustrate these wacky ideas (such as saving all your money to buy a bike, then tossing the coins in the wishing well). They are simple, but not simplistic. And they are a smidgen (but not by much) more serious than Silverstein or those of that ilk. They are black and white, some colors which are very miniscule, and give us a bit of the story presented.
Overall things are fun, funny and punny. There might be a message or two (but sometimes you are unable to find it, after all, should we really be telling kids not to use toothpaste as it might “brush away” your teeth?) This is not for everyone, but if you like a bit of hyperbole with your books, it works terribly swell! (Read via an online reader copy, due mid October 2023).