Reviews for Rhymes a la mode

The average rating for Rhymes a la mode based on 2 reviews is 5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2021-04-11 00:00:00 Fred Hill We found this book at a community rummage sale over a decade ago. What a gem! This particular sale has books ranging from .10 cents to .25 cents and never more than that. Because people in the community just offload their stuff, there's no telling what you'll find. Today you can find a copy of this book for around $5.00 (new) online. Our copy is a Penguin Book's paperback published in 1990. The original was published in 1989. It's super thin and only about 79 pages total. Roald Dahl basically took some well-known fables and tales and turned them into silly rhymes. We all know how Roald Dahl had quite the imagination, so this collection can be crazy and hilarious. Some of the rhymes are a bit too risqué and aren't really suited for kids as they reference sex, adultery, and even cannabalism, but I think some of it would likely go unnoticed. Definitely read at your own risk! Others are completely harmless. Quentin Blake's iconic illustrations are absolutely perfect in every Roald Dahl book we've read. They magically work together with his stories, creating interesting characters. The kids have grown used to seeing his illustrations in most of their favorite Dahl books. It's no surprise that his sinister version of "Hansel and Gretel" is my favorite. Something unique about this one is this little addition toward the end: "The Brother's Grimm who wrote this story Made it a thousand times more gory. I've taken out the foulest scene In order that you won't turn green. It is beyond me how it came To merit such enormous fame. Did parents really, in those days, Agree to read such gruesome plays To little children in the night? And did they ever die of fright? It might have been okay, who knows, If there'd been humour in the prose. Did I say humour? Wilhelm Grimm? There's not a scrap of it in him." Overall, this is a hilarious collection of twisty rhymes with some of Roald Dahl's wicked humor. There's no denying his books can make children laugh, but he certainly knew how to entertain adults as well. This one will always remain in our collection. This book is a Shabby Sunday feature @www.readrantrockandroll.com

Review # 2 was written on 2012-04-13 00:00:00 Arthur Greebler Review by my nine year old daughter: This book is part of the reading challenge at my school. This book’s category is poetry. The very famous author Roald Dahl wrote Rhyme Stew. Quentin Blake illustrated it.Roald Dahl is one of my all-time favourite authors. I’ve read just about all his books like ‘Matilda’, ‘BFG’, ‘Witches’, and his boyhood autobiology. And all the rest. This book is full of hilarious rhymes. Roald Dahl has taken some well known fairy tales and made them rhyme as well as changing the punchline. I was almost always chuckling when reading Rhyme Stew. Roald Dahl has used some English words or concepts in these rhymes such as ‘knickers’, ‘tombola’, ‘church bazaar’, ‘gusto’, ‘jolly’ and ‘haughty’. Some of those words are quite antiquated. I found these poems funny as I’m English so I use some of these words all the time (like knickers). Another reason is that the author surprises and sometimes shocks you. The only downside is the poems sometimes have big words that some children – even me – might not understand. One of my favourite poems is called ‘The Price of Debauchery‘ which is about a girl who lets a boy kiss her behind her house although her Mum told her not to. I learnt what debauchery means. I would recommend this book for children aged eight and over, because most of the rhymes can be a little rude like the poem that says ‘The vicar’s hand is up my knickers’.That made me giggle. I give this book 5 out of 5 smiley faces. I really enjoyed reading Rhyme Stew, and reading out some of the poems to my parents.