Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich

Starred review from August 28, 2006
Lovers of silly pop-culture allusions will get a kick out of these monster spoofs. The title poem sets the parodic tone. Frankenstein's monster, pursued by torch-bearing villagers, feels sad to be despised: "They threw tomatoes,/ pigs, potatoes,/ loaves of moldy bread./ And then a thought struck Frankenstein/ as pickles struck his head." Instead of pitying himself, he thanks the mob and makes a Dagwood sandwich. In subsequent pages, Rex (Tree Ring Circus
)—in a mocking spirit akin to Sendak et al.'s Mommy?
—parodies wolfmen and vampires. A recurring joke features an aggravated Phantom of the Opera who cannot compose music except to the tunes of "Pop Goes the Weasel" and other standards ("It's a small world after all./ Angry cursing fills the hall./ Now he's crawling up the wall./ It's a small, small world"); a goofy Dracula tale follows the bouncy meter of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas
. Rex demonstrates a dizzying yet fitting variety of artistic styles, layouts and lettering. For instance, he styles a Jekyll and Hyde tale as a 19th-century illustrated newspaper, a photo collage imitates a Japanese monster flick, and a perfectly realized Richard Scarry bunny gazes sweetly at a yeti in a sendup of a Little Golden Book ("The Yeti Doesn't Appreciate Being Called Bigfoot"). Rex gives readers the pleasure of discovering punch lines on their own, and his droll, ultra-detailed paintings show he takes comedy seriously. Ages 5-10.

Listeners of all ages will appreciate this collection of poems featuring monsters, in which the wildly imaginative Rex considers a variety of quirky questions. What happens when the Phantom of the Opera can't get a tune out of his head? When Dracula has spinach stuck in his teeth? Or when the Creature from the Black Lagoon ignores his mother's advice and goes swimming right after lunch? L.J. Ganser clearly relishes Rex's oddball premises and clever wordplay. Whether called upon to sing, speak in British tones, recite limericks, cackle like a witch, or scold like a mom ("That black lagoon is dark and damp/you're going to get a stomach cramp!"), Ganser rises to the occasion with an energetic glee that enhances the humor in Rex's poetry. J.C.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine