Fresh Approaches: Noteworthy New Editions and Reissues
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-- School Library Journal, 3/3/2008 12:31:00 PM
Don’t Miss the Glump!
Shel Silverstein’s first poetry collection, and his only volume to be illustrated in full color, Don’t Bump the Glump!: And Other Fantasies, makes an eye-dazzling return in a new edition scheduled for release by HarperCollins on March 18, 2008. Originally published as Uncle Shelby’s Zoo in 1964, this book has been out of print—and missing from many libraries’ shelves—for quite some time. Forty-five silver-tongued poems introduce a flock of fanciful creatures, including the elusive “Quick-Disguising Ginnit,” the always-accommodating “Considerate Soft-Shelled Phizzint,” and the ferocious “Feezus” (“There is a terrible twenty-foot Feezus./Shhh…I don’t think he sees us”). Ranging in tone from humorous to the slightest bit scary, each enchanting offering stands solidly on its own: “This is the tail of the/Man-Eating Fullit./Let’s not pull it.” Silverstein’s distinctive black-line renderings of bizarre beasts—unexpectedly splashed with bright watercolor washes—emphasize and enhance each poem’s impact.
According to HarperCollins, the new edition remains true to the 1964 publication for the most part. The book’s size was increased slightly, and though the type had to be reset, efforts were made to stay as close to the original as possible. Because of modern printing processes, the colors in the reissue are more vivid.
Libraries will want to add this bewitching bestiary to their collections, where it will delight devotees of the author’s work, garner new fans, and fulfill requests for National Poetry Month (April) materials. Also, direct young readers to ShelSilverstein.com, a child-friendly Web site chock-full of the author’s words and images. Click on a pile of books to access 12 poems (some featuring a recording of the author performing words or music) complete with animations of his illustrations. Icons also lead to a biography of Silverstein, interactive games, and resources for parents and teachers that can be downloaded or printed out.
Good Old-Fashioned Commonsense
Universe Publishing, an imprint of Rizzoli, has reissued Munro Leaf’s Brushing Your Teeth Can Be Fun: And Lots of other Good Ideas for How to Grow Up Healthy, Strong, and Smart. Originally published in 1943 as Health Can Be Fun (1943), the book was reprinted numerous times before going out of print in 1971. Leaf, the author of The Story of Ferdinand (Viking, 1936), encourages kids to embrace responsibility for taking care of themselves, offering advice about eating healthy foods, getting plenty of exercise and rest, personal hygiene, and what to do when you're feeling ill. The flowing text incorporates touches of humor (watch out for the “Food Grumbler”), and the illustrations of stick-figure characters keep the tone light.
According to Jane Newman, editor for Rizzoli/Universe, the original text has been “slightly amended for modern times, i.e., daily amount of milk doctors today suggest children should drink.” The art remains basically the same, though the inside red of the 1943 edition has been changed to orange. Other books in Leaf’s “Can Be Fun” series available from Universe are How to Behave and Why (2002), Manners Can Be Fun (2004), Reading Can Be Fun (2004), and How to Speak Politely and Why (2005).
Pub Info
LEAF, Munro. Brushing Your Teeth Can Be Fun: and Lots of other Good Ideas for How to Grow Up Healthy, Strong, and Smart. Rizzoli/Universe. 2008. Tr $14.95. ISBN 978-0-7893-1594-6.
SILVERSTEIN, Shel. Don’t Bump the Glump! and Other Fantasies. illus. by author. HarperCollins. Mar. 2008. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-06-149338-6.
