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Another old relic from my bookmobile days, this cute little book has been sitting in my shelf since probably kindergarten. Written in the 1970s, with its retro doodly art and simple, whimsical verses, Spooky Rhymes and Riddles by Lilian Moore is a delightful tiny tome of kitsch. While I can most assuredly assure (...?) you that I haven't own the book since its first print--I may be old, but not that old--, there's a retro quality to it that must have drew me to it when I saw it on the shelf wayyyyy back.
The art is done by Ib Ohlsson, who's ink pen touch is enhanced with blocks of orange. The whole book is so halloween-y, it makes candy corn look unfestive. They're pretty much half the lovable package that this book is. From curly cue scribbly monsters, to the wispy and wiggly ghosts, to scratchy witches and sketchy slinky cats, each illustration is both simple and full of movement.
The rhymes and poems inside are cute and funny, with a child's sense of humor. Its no Frost or Petrarch, and it fits right at home with jump-rope skipping rhymes and playground verse. As an english major, I find that refreshing. Child's verse has its own meter and its own set of style and images. It may take talent to write sonnets, but I always felt writing children's poetry, a delicious soup of limerick stress patterns and candy sweet end rhyme, was also a challenge. Don't sound too adult, but add in images kids know. Waiting for elevators, impolite table manners with the appropriate rude eating onomonopia, silly speculations of how ghosts get clean. They're all kid images, and they're all in good fun.
Some illustrations are tied to the poem structure, like a poem about something underneath the stairs has each line staggered on the illustration of stairs. Its simple, but a nice break to the lined text.
The age the book is aimed at is of the very young, probably K-1, even preschool. If you have children in this age range, it would be a fun exercise to try to memorize each poem, including "doing the voices!" of the various monsters and witches in the book. XD So if you're looking for a small readers book of halloween poetry, try tracking down Spooky Rhymes and Riddles. Its got a lot of retro charm and adorably cute rhymes that will delight any child (or inner child!).
Bonus riddle:
What has one horn
And doesn't need more,
Because people run
When it comes with a roar?
Answer (highlight to see): a truck!
By Dio (10/15/12)
Spooky Rhymes and Riddles was written by Lilian Moore, published by Scholastic, and illustrations by Ib Ohlsson
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