The Annotated Hunting of the Snark

Book Description

The definitive guide to one of the most baffling epics of nineteenth-century literature—a companion to The Annotated Alice.

"It's a Snark!"…for whatever else can it be?" Published on April Fools' Day in 1876, Lewis Carroll's The Hunting of the Snark remains one of the most amusing and bizarre works of modern verse. Carroll, who completed this classic poem eleven years after the publication of Alice in Wonderland, invites readers along on a fictitious hunt to determine who—or what—the Snark actually is. More than 130 years later, the indomitable Martin Gardner returns to the Snark with a trove of new annotations and illustrations, uncovering some of the most confounding literary, linguistic, and mathematical references embedded in any of Lewis Carroll's many works. Included in this gorgeous, two-color volume is an introduction by Adam Gopnik, as well as Henry Holiday's distinctive, original illustrations, a substantial bibliography, and a suppressed drawing of the infamous Boojum. With a host of other Snark resources, this is the most ambitious work on Lewis Carroll's masterpiece in many decades. Two-color throighout; 56 illustrations.

Customer Reviews:

Charmed with smiles and soap.......2007-01-22

Highly recommended for readers interested in the timeless poem by Lewis Carroll. And this should encompass all those, regardless of age, who have a sense of humor and an element of wonder.

The Annotated Hunting of the Snark.......2007-01-06

This is a new version of older works. It has new introductions
and the new preface by Martin Gardner. This new version contains
additional and expanded thoughts on the main work. Being the latest
and greatest version to date.

"An agony in eight fits.".......2006-11-06

Filled with exuberant language, The Annotated Hunting of the Snark is an unparalleled adventure, part nonsense, part ironic elucidation, suggesting that nothing is ever what it seems. Published on April Fool's Day 1876, Carroll's epic poem, The Hunting of the Snark, is elaborately presented with annotations by Martin Gardener, exploring the sea voyage of a crew determined to capture the elusive Snark; they are ten: a Bellman, a Boots, a maker of Bonnets and Hoods, a Barrister, a Broker, a Billiard-Maker, a Banker, a Beaver and a Butcher. The Snark itself presents a conundrum, be it beast of "Boojum", an entity that will cause them all to disappear.

For over a century, scholars have discussed Carroll's poem, its nonsense, allegories and anecdotes, rife with hidden meanings and scholarly interpretations. The annotations and illustrations in this volume are classic, black and white images of animated men and beasts, fantasy in the ink strokes of the artist's pen, page after page of fascinating annotations reflecting the variety of discussions engendered by the poem: "According to Humpty Dumpty, the word `mimsy" (from the first stanza of Jabberwocky) is a portmanteau word combining `miserable' and `flimsy'."

Each fit advances the story, introducing the crew members, each with his pretensions and expectations. Both dreamlike and illogical, The Annotated The Hunting of the Snark appeals in language and whimsy with undertones of danger, the unknown lurking, a virtual treasure trove of allegories for those inclined to such interpretation. It is Gardner who adds the unique spirit of this edition, expansively embracing "a personal God and much that confounds the simple or poverty-stricken or mindless materialism", while remaining "an untiring pursuer of pseudoscience and irrationality", the "space between a feeling heart and a thinking mind, between a love of the marvelous and a reverence for skeptical truth":

"In the midst of the word he was trying to say,
In the midst of his laughter and glee,
He had softly and suddenly vanished away-
For the Snark was a Boojum, you see."

Our modern world has been redefined by the specter of the Snark as Boojum, perhaps as death or a fear of extinction, a dread of the unknown. With its luxurious illustrations, the annotated poem is followed by a number of interesting pieces: "An Easter Greeting"; "A Commentary by Snarkophilus Snobs"; "The Clue" (a sequel); "Excepts from Henry Holiday's Reminiscences of My Life"; and an extensive bibliography, all in all, a grand adventure into a vast chasm of possibilities. Luan Gaines/2006.

Average customer rating:

Altered perspectives for life
Left quite an impression...
Best of Seuss
A frequently overlooked Seuss gem !
Awesome...its the Dr.

On Beyond Zebra! (Classic Seuss)
Dr. Seuss , and Theodor Seuss Geisel
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Humorous | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0394800842
Release Date: 1955-09-12

Amazon.com

A thoroughly Seussian tweak of the alphabet-book tradition, On Beyond Zebra is about all the letters that most people ignore--the ones that come after Z. Our hero (instantly recognizable to most Seuss fans as the boy who captured Thing One and Thing Two in The Cat in the Hat) takes his young friend, Conrad Cornelius O'Donald O'Dell, on a guided tour of all the weird creatures that begin with letters such as Yuzz, Wumbus, and Glikk. "And Nuh is the letter I use to spell Nutches, Who live in small caves, known as Nitches, for hutches." The message is pretty simple: the alphabet pins down boring old "reality," but if you explore further afield there are more interesting worlds to discover. "So, on beyond Z! It's high time you were shown, / That you really don't know all there is to be known." Explorers in need of guidance will even find a table of useful new letters (a beyondabet? a WumbaGlikk?) in the back. (Ages 4 to 8) --Richard Farr

Book Description

Illus. in color.

Customer Reviews:

Altered perspectives for life.......2007-09-20

This book introduced "paradigm shifting" into my intellectual vocabulary before I even knew what such a thing was.

Many, many, many years ago (Nixon was President, I think) I read this and was changed. I can remember the the images, the textures, the smells (Ah! The ditto machine and its purple perfume!) and all my surroundings. I was sitting in the elementary school library, facing northwest toward the door. Lured by the title and the premise, I had taken the volume to my assigned seat ("Library" was a class back then, as it should have been) and quickly devoured it.

The concept - that our 26-letter alphabet was an arbitrary collection and not a universal constant on a par with gravity - had never entered my cartoon-addled mind. It sparked an awareness of similar cultural and philosophical constrictions that I have expanded and retained to this day.

Hats off to the Dr.!

Left quite an impression..........2007-04-05

Loved this book as a child. Fast-forward thirty-some years, I am a computational linguist with a fascination for exotic writing systems. Coincidence? In think not.

Best of Seuss.......2007-03-08

A fun book for kids, with some deeper insight as well.

"When you go beyond Zebra,
Who knows...? There's no telling
What wonderful things
You might find yourself spelling!"

A frequently overlooked Seuss gem !.......2005-10-19

This was my favorite book as a kid & still is. I now have ownership of our family's 'ancient' copy (copyright date 1955, Mom's written inscription: Christmas 1962 for my oldest brother who was age 6). I recently read it to my 6 year old son and he also was taken with this book. I am getting a new copy for him for Christmas as the original is pretty fragile now. This book belongs in every family's collection along with The Lorax, The Sneeches, Bartholomew Cubbins, Horton and the rest of the classic/original Seuss stories.

Awesome...its the Dr........2005-10-12

Actually got this for my new tat, but I love this art

A Bad Case Of The Giggles : Kids Pick the Funniest Poems, Book #2

Average customer rating:

My hate-to-read son is reading this book!
Very uneven
This book is nothing but funny!

A Bad Case Of The Giggles : Kids Pick the Funniest Poems, Book #2

Manufacturer: Meadowbrook
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0671899821

Customer Reviews:

My hate-to-read son is reading this book!.......2000-03-08

Wow! My oldest (and loves to read) son borrowed this from the library and read them all the way to school to us in the car! We loved them! Now my youngest (and hates to read) borrowed the book as well and spends the drive reading his favorite poems to us! We all enjoy them!

Very uneven.......1999-12-28

Some of the poems in this collection are great. Who can question the brilliance of Shel Silverstein? Why then are we subjected to having a great like Shel having to share these pages with poetry that reads like it was written by children, not for children. The chief perpetrator of painful (to read) poetry is the editor himself, who should have know better than to insert his amateurish efforts into this collection. If you want to read Shel Silverstein, buy his collections. I can think of no reason to buy this pastiche of real children's poetry books.

This book is nothing but funny!.......1999-02-02

Wow! My son was in the back seat reading this book out loud, and it was so funny that I had to pull over or risk crashing! The poetry is witty, and the pictures are just as funny. Buy this book! You won't regret it!

Average customer rating:

We Love Bold Lady!
Buy One for You and Another for Your Best Friend's Toddler
excellent.

There Was a Bold Lady Who Wanted a Star
Charise Mericle Harper
Manufacturer: Little, Brown Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0316146730

Book Description

In this funny, clever adaptation of the classic song, "There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly," Charise Mericle Harper takes readers on a wacky journey as a feisty, bold lady tries everything from skates, to a bike, to a car, and finally, a rocket to reach a star.This fresh take on a familiar favorite will have readers laughing at the new verses and poring over the witty details in the illustrations.

Customer Reviews:

We Love Bold Lady!.......2005-01-27

My 3-year old daughter loves "Bold Lady," maybe even as much as I do! The vibrant colors of Harper's art with the creative, rhyming text - and a home-run ending make this book awesome. Harper updates a old classic, and like a classic, it holds a firm place in our ever-changing bookshelf!

Buy One for You and Another for Your Best Friend's Toddler.......2004-04-16

I gave this book to a friend for her 2 year old's birthday, but didn't expect the rave reviews it got--the emails started pouring in--"thanks--my daughter loves it!" then..."she wants to read it 6 times per day!!" So I bought a copy. Then my son, now 18 months, became an addict--"star!" "moon"! "balloon!" (please note he didn't know these words two days ago) He goes for the book several times a day. But now I'm addicted too--the illustrations are magnificent, with wonderful color, detail, and depth that captivates even very young children, not unlike Richard Scarry. The text is charming, rythmic, and inspirational (which my son will hopefully appreciate later.) We own a lot of books, but very few get thrown in my lap as often as this; I'm ordering all her books, hoping they are as much fun as this!!

excellent........2003-10-01

Instills in kids and parents the idea that to pursue the stars and beyond is a thing to do. No goal is too distant or not worth the effort.

Average customer rating:

First Childrens Poet Laureate
Rave Reviews from fourth grade
Upon meeting Jack Prelutsky
The FUNNIEST Poems!
The FUNNIEST Poems!

It's Raining Pigs & Noodles
Jack Prelutsky
Manufacturer: Greenwillow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 006029194X

Amazon.com

Brace yourself for more pun-ishment from the playful Jack Prelutsky and illustrator James Stevenson, creators of The New Kid on the Block, Something Big Has Been Here, and A Pizza the Size of the Sun. More than 100 Prelutsky poems populate the pages--a mix of 8-year-old-boy humor, nonsense poetry in the tradition of Ogden Nash and Edward Lear, and clever, often unabashedly shameless, wordplay. While there are many, many doozies, our favorite is "Hiccup!," excerpted here:

I've tried gulping hiccup water,
stood upon my hiccup head,
held my breath until my hiccup
hiccup face turned hiccup red.

Chronic cogitators are celebrated in "Quibble Q. Quing" (who thinks about things), and wild imaginations in "Purple Orangutans:" ("Rabbits and parrots play tag in the stars, / marshmallows march in the meadows of Mars... / these are a few of the wonders I find / in the magic museum I keep in my mind.") Children find a kindred spirit in Prelutsky, a poet who knows full well that overweight underdogs and chocolate-covered salami and Sniffing Snutterwudds are always worth a giggle. Stevenson's understated (but always expressive) line drawings suit this silly collection to a T. (Perfect for reading aloud to younger readers, but wordsmiths ages 9 and older will pick up all the puns.) --Karin Snelson

Book Description

The poet laureate of the young set is back, with his artist laureate collaborator, to "take another swipe at stuffiness."- Here are more than one hundred poems bursting to be read, chanted, laughed over, and remembered.

It would be hard to find a schoolage kid who has not read or heard a Prelutsky poem and who does not want to hear another. He plays with the language and encourages readers to revel in the game. Puns, jokes, wordplay and shape play, wit, silliness, slapstick, and joy abound. Some of the poems are about people, some are about animals. And some are about things that never were (and that one hopes never will be). Be warned: Read a poem once and you will love it. Read it several times and it will be part of you forever.

Customer Reviews:

First Childrens Poet Laureate.......2007-06-27

The Book was received in excellent condition. The author knows what children love. My gransons enjoyed it soooo much. I am sending another one to another grandson who lives far away. I know he will enjoy it as well. It will be for his 10th birthday.

Rave Reviews from fourth grade .......2006-08-30

I just read this to a fourth grade class and they boo'd when I said poems. They wouldn't let me leave once I got started! They chanted for me to read more.

Upon meeting Jack Prelutsky.......2006-03-10

We live in Paris (France) and Jack Prelutsky has spent a few days speaking to the children at my daughter's school. He has made such a positive impression on her that I am going to order his books. He truly knows how to write for children.

The FUNNIEST Poems!.......2002-10-16

One of the funniest poems we read was "I'm Stuck Inside a Seashell"! ...And one of the poems is "It's Raining Pigs and Noodles", just like the title (and they don't even just talk about pigs and noodles - they talk about all sorts of other things!)

All the poems are so funny and I was able to read some of them myself! ...And I learned never to take a bath all day and all night (Ha! Ha!)! I can't wait to read his other books!

The FUNNIEST Poems!.......2002-10-10

All the poems are so funny and I was able to read some of them myself! ...And I learned never to take a bath all day and all night (Ha! Ha!)! I can't wait to read his other books!

Book Description

Now in a board version perfect for little hands, this bestselling book can be enjoyed by a whole new audience of babies and toddlers!

Customer Reviews:

Such a cute book!.......2007-10-11

I love this book! The "expanded" version of the song is so much fun to sing! The kids in my class love it.

The adventures of a little spider come to life!.......2006-12-15

We LOVE this book. I used a few of the verses in this book to reinforce some sign language word we were teaching our daughter, and it helped her learn how to use "please" and "bed/sleepy". I totally don't know any toddler/children's rhymes, so this book has even helped me learn! We can sing along in the car now, even if I don't have the book!

This one will be a classic in your child's library........2005-09-13

This book is one of my sons favorites. (17 months) The illustrations are great and the authors make a cute little day-long adventure for the eensy weensy spider. The book is actually pretty long so it works well for a bedtime story. I would also suggest "The Lady with the Alligator Purse" and "Miss Mary Mack" by the same two authors. All three of these books are illustrated from a unique point of view that I think children like because they get to see things from a semi-birds view rather than their usual worms eye view.

My baby never gets tired of this book.......2005-04-29

We bought this book for my daughter when she was about 8 months old. She loved to hear the song right away and would sometimes want me to sing it 3 times in a row. Now that she is almost 11 months, she will grab this specific book off of her shelf and flip through it by herself and point to the pictures. This will be a favorite book for years to come. I can't wait until she can sing this song by herself.

Sing the Story!.......2004-02-28

If you know the words to eensy weensy spider (or itsy bitsy Spider depending where you were raised)- you can sing this whole book. My two year loves it! Doesn't matter if Dad, Mom, or one his 5 big brothers sings it to him- he just wants to listen to you sing it! He is starting to hum along. I can hardly wait till he is old enough to sing along too! Great books like this one allow a child to interact along with the story. The writing to cute and fun. The pictures adorable. Enjoy!

Average customer rating:

Toddler Fun

Hand Rhymes (Picture Puffins)
Marc Brown
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140549390

Customer Reviews:

Toddler Fun.......2000-03-17

Hand Rhymes has been a great asset to my toddler classroom. The children love doing the fine moter actions to the fun rhymes. The children love the pictures also. This is a great book for any age!

The Blood-Hungry Spleen and Other Poems About Our Parts

Average customer rating:

Great Book....Great Poet!!!
I wish it was published when I was teaching!
Why wasn't this published when I was still teaching???
Funny, original, and educational
Original, funny, and educational

The Blood-Hungry Spleen and Other Poems About Our Parts
Allan Wolf
Manufacturer: Candlewick
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 076361565X
Release Date: 2003-07-28

Book Description

Ears have drums (but don't play them), knees wear caps (even in church), and a boneless boy turns into a human puddle in this book of wacky—and anatomically accurate—poems about our body parts.

To the left of your stomach, a deep violet-red,
a filter's at work filling blood cells with dread:
The red blood cell graveyard! It's not Halloween.
I'm talking about that blood basher, the spleen.

Have you ever wondered just exactly what some of your body parts do? How many times a year your heart beats?How big your small intestines are? And, equally noteworthy, which of your muscles looks most like a slug? Certain to appeal to elementary-school children, this unique and humorous book uses poetry to explore the amazing workings of our bodies. With great verve and enthusiasm—and plenty of outrageous illustrations—Allan Wolf and Greg Clarke tickle the funny bone in these thirty-four poems while answering some of those deep anatomical questions.

Customer Reviews:

Great Book....Great Poet!!!.......2007-07-26

My child and I had the good fortune to see Mr. Wolf perform at a library where he read from this book, and others! I was so impressed by his show that I bought this book for my child who LOVES it! It truly makes the body interesting and fun.....captivating to children!! Thank you so much!

I wish it was published when I was teaching!.......2003-09-09

When I taught school, I was always looking for an entertaining way to trick my students into learning, into becoming inspired, and "The Blood-Hungry Spleen" would have been a huge hit -- if only I was still teaching! Not only is it amusing and educational to young children on a basic level about their anatomy (seriously, did you ever think about spit having a purpose, other than helping you look cool in a dugout?), it helps teachers and parents broach subjects they may have difficulty with. And, yes, very clever poetry!

Why wasn't this published when I was still teaching???.......2003-09-09

Funny, original, and educational.......2003-09-05

"The Blood Hungry Spleen" succeeds quite nicely in making learning about the different parts of the body fun. The poems are just silly enough to induce lots of giggles from kids (while teaching them - how sneaky!). The text is written in language that is easy for kids to grasp from a very young age, without ever being condescending.

But the book isn't just for kids -- at a recent party for adults, the book was passed around and read out loud -- to the sound of, yep, you guessed it, lots and lots of adult giggles.

Greg Clarke's artwork is also imaginative, and manages to perfectly capture the spirit and humor of Allan Wolf's poetry.

This is a book that parents and kids can enjoy together.

Original, funny, and educational.......2003-09-05

But the book isn't just for kids -- at a recent party for adults, the book was passed around and read out loud -- to the sound of, yep, you guessed it, lots and lots of adult giggles.

Greg Clarke's artwork is also imaginative, and manages to perfectly capture the spirit and humor of Allan Wolf's poetry.

Customer Reviews:

Cautionary for children?.......2006-08-27

It may seem like a bizarre sort of set of verses to read to children, but my mother grew up with it, and I think my grandfather did, and it didn't give them nightmares! Kids get caught up in the pattern of the words and adults enjoy these catchy verses as something quaint and charming.

Simply wonderful comic verse.......2002-02-26

Unlike most of the appreciators of Hilaire Belloc's comic verse for children, I first came to these wonderfully droll verses as an adult (I was brought up on Samuel Hoffenstein and Ogden Nash), but I have grown to love them as if I had known them since my earliest years (hey, that's the start of "Lord Lundy"). In his "Beasts", "Cautionary Tales" and "Peers" verses, Belloc achieves a delightful synthesis of the fearless straight-ahead gaze of childhood (in the tradition of "The Story of Augustus, Who Would Not Eat His Soup") with the style of absolutely dead-pan English humor (e.g. Stephen Potter's "Gamesmanship"). Do not neglect the verses in "Peers" and "More Peers"; "Lord Hippo" and "Lord Lucky" are the equal of "Matilda" and "Jim". Note for Lord Peter fans: Dorothy L. Sayers has Peter Wimsey quote several times from these Belloc poems.

A book of great poems of lessons for children.......2002-01-17

This is an excellent book. It is small and pocket-sized so my children can handle it very easily. This book is advertized as being a hardcover when it actually is not. It is still worth it to get it, though.

Very funny..........2001-07-19

Outrageous, yet, delivering a straight-forward moral lesson, Belloc's cautionary tales are classic.

Delightful!.......2001-07-04

I learnt lots of these poems as a child in school - perhaps I had a teacher with a wicked and somewhat warped sense of humour! And I have never forgotten how wonderful they are. My personal favourite is about poor Jim, who gets into so much trouble, but the others are equally delightful.

Customer Reviews:

The last word in Nonsense - a timeless classic for children.......2004-05-09

The Complete Book of Nonsense by Lear is a broad compilation of Limericks, Poems, Ballads and other forms which celebrates the fantasy world of the child. Lear creates simple visions of exaggeration with a man's beard so large as to have birds nesting in it, or some one who's legs were so long as to leap from Turkey to France in one prance. Included also are a number of love stories or stories of devotion such as the exquisite "The Owl and the Pussycat" who went to sea in a beautiful pea green boat.

It is a book which does not make any attempt to cram a moral into a child's mind or teach facts. It makes it's appeal directly to the child's curiosity and fantasy world, illustrated with a unique and charmingly naive yet sophisticated pen and ink drawing style, it delivers enchantment and will fascinate. He speaks their language.

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