An Imaginary Menagerie - Hardcover

McGough, Roger

3.89

57 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0670823309 ISBN 13: 9780670823307

Publisher: Puffin, 1988

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From the anaconda in a Honda (don't ask him for a ride, you might end up inside), to the zonk (good for nothing and very rude), from the useful catapillow and the reliable teapet to he newt who plays the flute, and the wordfish - who's a swordfish in a state of undress, this is an A-Z of animal poems with a difference! Choose your own favourite from Roger McGough's witty and wicked menagerie of rare breeds real and imaginary.

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Review:

Fun, clever, fun!

(School Librarian)

'In Roger's menagerie here, you can expect animals that are hybrids of mind-tickling wordplay. In Roger's prankish hands, caterpillar becomes "catopillow" and beware the allivator, that reptile that swallows shoppers at the top of the stairs.'

(John Agard Guardian)

This new collection lives up to its exuberant title. With quirky drawings by the poet himself, this zany menagerie of imaginary and real breeds, this A-Z of animal poems, is one with a difference - ultimately proof of the everlasting originality of McGough's voice.

(Bookfest Ireland - Recommended Reading Guide)

Illustrated with his own eccentric drawings. Short, funny and insightful, the poems cover topics from nits and slugs to seagulls and weasels. They are great to dip in and out of and your child is sure to appreciate the richness of the language.

(Junior)

While this kind of humour is sometimes thought of as the province of prepubescent boys, the cleverness with which McGough invests it means that this collection has a wider appeal and could also provide powerful inspiration towards imitation by young readers.

(Ibby Link)

The poems are very accessible for children to dip into or read as a collection. They are all short in length and the use of rhyme in the poems adds additional excitement. Learn the truth about the Loch Ness Monter; paso doble with the flamingo; find out where you can see a scallop gallop and learn all about the durinanimal in this book. The blurb challengs you to chose your favourite from this witty and wicked menagerie. I don't think I can!

(English 4-11)

A welcome republication for McGough's classic collection of real and imaginary animal poems, which first delighted readers of all ages more than twenty years ago. Adults who enjoyed these poems as children now have an excuse to revisit and share them with a further generation. McGough revels in the sound of words, puns and word-play generally, and in the incongruity of ideas and behaviour. The twenty-six short animal word portraits layer the surreal, the bizarre and the use of allusion to offer us an immensely engaging and amusing menagerie.

(Booktrust)

"Classic Roger McGough... Kids love these poems." The Guardian

About the Author:

Roger McGough was a member of the group Scaffold in the 1960s when he contributed poems to the Penguin title The Mersey Sound, which has since sold over a million copies and is now available as a Penguin Classic. He has published many books of poems for children and adults, and both his Collected Poems (2004) and Selected Poems (2006) are also available in Penguin. He presents Poetry Please on Radio 4 and is President of the Poetry Society. He was honoured with the Freedom of the City of Liverpool in 2001 and with a CBE in 2005 for services to literature.

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