A Little Less Noise

April 16, 2001
This collection of Polisar's (Peculiar Zoo) most popular lyrics—pulled from an out-of-print songbook (Noises from Under the Rug)—loses something in translation when presented without tunes. Though many of the selections ("I Lost My Pants"; "My Brother Threw Up on My Stuffed Toy Bunny") possess the kind of loopy irreverence practiced by such fellow poetic punsters as Jack Prelutsky, others employ clumsy internal rhymes ("Underwear is everywhere but mostly underneath./ Usually you can't see what goes on beneath"; "Factories are good for snacks,/ I love that red hot steel./ And you know we need our supply/ Of iron in our meals," sings a three-toed, triple-eyed, double-jointed dinosaur), which may be helped by musical accompaniment but fall flat when read aloud. Thematically, silliness reigns supreme ("We stand up on the sofa with carrots up our noses,/ Pretending we are monsters—not wearing any clothes-es"), a fact that should delight Polisar's fans, and several of the tag lines pack a punch, perhaps most notably that of his well-known "I Don't Wanna Go to School": " 'Now Tom get up,' said Tommy's mom. She hoped he was convincible./ 'You've got to go to school,' she said, 'because you are the Principal.' " Longtime collaborator Clark dishes up his trademark blend of quirky, bug-eyed cartoonlike creatures, whose exaggerated expressions heighten the humor. Ages 4-8.

May 1, 2001
PreS-Gr 3-A long-time children's entertainer has gathered many of his songs into this collection, transforming them into poems that will be familiar to many children. With such titles as "Don't Put Your Finger Up Your Nose" and "My Brother Threw Up on My Stuffed Toy Bunny," Polisar strikes at the heart of every kid's funny bone, despite his tendency to play fast and loose with meter and rhyme, a fault easier to hide in a performance setting. Without his wacky personality and his own interpretation of both words and music, the songs are not as successful on the printed page. The illustrations are over the top and even slightly ribald with exaggerations galore. There's a green-faced brother, ready to-well, you know-and a gorilla that is sticking a finger in his nose, ears, and mouth. Despite the uneven quality, these odes to school, siblings, teachers, and parents will certainly appeal to Polisar's fans, who will have his music ringing in their ears.-Jane Marino, Scarsdale Public Library, NY

Copyright 2001 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.