Your skeleton is showing: rhymes of blunder from six feet under

by Kurt Cyrus, Crab Scrambly (Illustrator)

The spectacular rhymes of Kurt Cyrus, paired with the deliciously grim illustrations of Crab Scrambly, take readers on an adventure through the friendliest and wackiest graveyard you'll ever find! This collection of dead-pan poems is sure to be a perennial favorite and is the perfect off-beat introduction to poetry.

Genres: Poetry, Picture Books, Halloween, Humor, Childrens, Fiction, Fantasy

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Mary Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such fun! Here's. sample:

"Mrs. Fribble

Every sickness known to science,
Mrs. Fribble got.
From common colds to mumps and molds
To booger blister rot;"...

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twenty-eight gruesomely amusing poems feature a boy and a dog who wander through a graveyard in search of the dog's companion. As they walk through the fog, they hear the stories of those buried there. Some of the tales of their demise are short, only two lines in length, while others cover a couple of pages. Freddie Diggs died from picking his nose while High-Wire Pete, a high-wire acrobat plunged to his death because he couldn't tie a knot that would hold his rope tightly. Wanda Gripp met her maker after a tight embrace from an anaconda. There's even a mysterious grave marked with the letters "EIEIO" and scat and feathers. Readers will relish the word play and the cartoonish illustrations and look for more books with witty tributes to the dead such as Last Laughs: Animal Epitaphs by J. Patrick Lewis and Jane Yolen.

[Arnela · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a book of rhymes about a boy that finds a ghost dog and the strange denizens of a cemetery the boy passes by as they look for the dogs spectral owner.

The poems are very silly, and they might need some explaining to younger readers, but I don't see anything too scary about them. Still be warned, some kids spook easier than others.

I really like the sketchy art style, it reminds me of Nightmare before Christmas and Edward Gorey's works, though a tad simpler for the age group its aiming for.

It's plenty of fun, and definitely something to read through during October.

[Beatrice Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is what you get when you cross Shel Silverstein with Edward Gorey. A collection of delightfully macabre poetry and stories with wonderful drawings to boot. It's a mixed bag of topics. BUt I asure you, everyone of them has an horrifically gruesome ending...

[Sara Carmona · Rating 3 out of 5]

(poetry) I can't quite decide how I feel about this book. It's got some good humor, but some of it is just plain disgusting. I do think it's pretty amazing that anyone can write poetry about anything, though. I think some of these would be good to use in a classroom to teach about specific kinds of poetry and to broaden the topic of what students can write about. I would be curious to see if the author has written any more poetry, maybe some of the stuff I don't mind to read.

[Tori Whitworth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Playful text about a boy and ghost dog trying to find its ghost owner. They searched through the graveyard and learned a lot about how people there died. Clever and enjoyable. Good pick for Halloween!

[Janeill Banks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poetry

This book is a little morbid, but once you get used to the theme, it's fun to see the different kinds of poems throughout the book. Each page has a different poem, featuring different people in a made-up cemetery and how they died or what they were known for.

[Alex Onslow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Age: K-5

These illustrations are crazy!! So abstract and cliche halloweeny! very silly childrens read. This book is about the adventures of a cute little boy and a small little skeleton dog trying to find the grave of his owner.

focus: halloween, poem

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This poetry book was silly to read. I try to find poetry each month that goes with a holiday theme, hence Halloween. My son was laughing while I read the poems out loud to him. It was worth reading these silly poems just to hear his laughs.

[Catarina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so much fun! A great poem book with a beginning and end and all sorts of interesting characters in between. The illustrations were a little spooky but still such a thrill! I would recommend this book to others.

[Tim Esas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I stumbled across this book at the library and just had to find me my own copy. The poems are excellent, especially if you (or the kids) like a bit of dark humor, and the illustrations pair very well. There isn't really much to say other than, go read it.

[wildct2003 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creepy for a children’s book haha

[Alison Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the stories and art. Very unique and kinda reminds me of Shel Silverstein.

[Beckie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Published by Disney-Hyperion, this macabre book of 28 Halloweeny poems is very reminiscent of Disneyland's Haunted Mansion. A little gross and weird at times, my 7 year old LOVED this book. If you like silly, icky, creepy after life stuff, you'll enjoy this one. The illustrations are Tim Burton like as well which rounds out the whole package.

[Wuxuan Ma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a poetry book
This book is very interesting. It tells a story about a boy and a lost ghost dog roaming the graveyard to find the dog's owner, and together they see many other people's grave and how they have passed. It felt like black humor.

[Janet Squires]

A search through a cemetery for a ghost-dog's owner leads a boy on an adventure of discovery as each passing headstone reveals a cautionary tale or a history of the deceased. Who knew nose-picking could be fatal?

The verses vary from silly to grim providing just enough of the "ick" factor to make them appealing for readers delighted by the morbid and ridiculous. There's even a touch of mystery as the reader is challenged by a verse to answer the question "Who is laid below? / Mysterious letters mark the stone: / EIEIO."

Scrambly's art puts me in mind of Tim Burton, but with a softer and more humorous sensibility. Other reviewers have likened his art to the work of Edward Gorey.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny and witty poems accompany the hilarious illustrations that take the reader through a journey in the graveyard. Younger readers will laugh out loud with some of the deaths including Freddie Diggs who picked his nose to death and a host of other gruesome yet hilarious ways to die and unique names that accompany them.

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ask any librarian and you'll find that scary stories, Halloween books, and humor are year-round favorites. In this case they combine in a picture book with comically gruesome details: Freddie Diggs who picked his nose until he bled to death, the EIEIO tombstone, and the continuity/comfort of a boy and his dog throughout.

[Blakelee Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Poetry Published: 2013

This book contains funny, creepy, and slightly morbid poems about the undead and how different characters came to die. For example one of the poems describes how Lula Kaduba was tuning her tuba the morning the meteor hit and crushed her. This book would be good to use with younger children to teach about rhyme and rhythm.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this clever, morbid book of Shel Silverstein style poems. my 6 year old enjoyed the rhymes and pictures but most of the poems were way one his head. told in allusion, I had to explain much of what was happening.

[Amy Rachuba · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little Edward Gorey-like for the younger set. (Not too young, or much of the humor will be missed.) Fun and gruesome, a different style of poetry showing a wide wide range of possibilities with poems for those who fear poetry belongs to the realm of pink hearts and pretty flowers.

[Meghan Hopp · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute rhyming book that reminded me of Shel Silverstein books. A little boy finds a lost ghost dog in the graveyard and they visit different headstones and people in the graveyard to find the dogs owner. These silly rhymes are sure to please kiddos and were great for Halloween.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the most fun children's poetry books out there! The rhymes actually rhyme and there's humor in every line! The art is fantastic as well--definitely a Tim Burton feel to it.

Good for an older kid storytime.

[Heidi-Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Animal Epitaphs bordered on gruesome, but still had humor and I handled it fine. But many of these in this collection are a little too gross & crass for me to fully enjoy. So many kids are going to love it!

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's actually nothing overtly Halloween-related in this book, but I imagine that's the time of year it will circulate most. The poems within are very funny and some are really, really gross. Kids will love these--perfect for a classroom poetry unit.

[Danica Midlil · Rating 2 out of 5]

A little Shel Silverstein and a little Edward Gorey. Not for me.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gruesome and funny poems perfect for this time of year. I'll be recommending this to lots of boys looking for poetry.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I'm not sure I would read it to young children, but I enjoyed it.

[Mary Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun poems from beyond the grave, with the story of a live boy and two dogs (one ghost, one alive) woven in.