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Jump to navigationJump to searchThere's A Lion In My Bathroom by Giles Paley-Phillips (view source)
Revision as of 19:18, 12 October 2010
, 19:18, 12 October 2010no edit summary
Teehee. The majority of the collection comprises short comic poems like that, but there are longer poems too. The standard throughout is remarkably consistent - no real weak points, although by the same token, there weren't many deep belly laughs. It brings to mind the poetry of [[:Category:Spike Milligan|Spike Milligan]], which is a double-edged sword: it's a compliment to be thought of in such illustrious company, but there is always the temptation to dig out your old copy of ''The Bald Twit Lion'' instead. I particularly enjoyed ''Timbuktu'' with its cheesy pun conclusion, and ''My Girlfriend'' with its scarecrow love.
On a first reading to myself, I wasn't hugely impressed with the poems - some of the rhymes are a little obvious, some lines don't quite scanclick perfectly. As is so often the case with poems of this ilk, reading them aloud - especially to an appreciative audience - undoes many of the issues and leads to greater enjoyment. They're not classics, but they're very enjoyable, and well-worth a look.
The accompanying illustrations from Matt Dawson (no, not the rugby player) are great, although the picture on the front cover doesn't do them justice. They're bold and exciting, and seem remarkably vibrant even though they're just black and white. The energetic style matches the poems perfectly, and helps set the fun mood. Greedy guts that I am, I would have liked even more illustrations as there's quite a lot of white space in the book, but those that are there are super.
