Silly Verse for Kids

by Spike Milligan

'Silly Verse for Kids' - a collection of laugh-out-loud nonsense poems for all ages and illustrated by the extraordinary comic genius, Spike Milligan.

The collection includes the famous 'On the Ning Nang Nong'.

Genres: Poetry, Childrens, Humor, Comedy, Fiction, Language, Classics

64 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1959

About the author

Terence Alan Patrick Seán Milligan, known as Spike, was a comedian, writer and musician. He was of Irish descent, but spent most of his childhood in India and lived most of his later life in England, moving to Australia after retirement. He is famous for his work in The Goon Show, children's poetry and a series of comical autobiographical novels about his experiences serving in the British Army in WWII. Spike Milligan suffered from bipolar disorder, which led to depression and frequent breakdowns, but he will be remembered as a comic genius. His tombstone reads 'I told you I was ill' in Gaelic.

Reviews

[Oscar Cremmen]

Mike Clarke

[russell barnes]

As time has passed my opinions on my parent's relationship has changed from 'How could they get divorced' to settle more or less on 'How did they ever get together'? However over the last year my strongly-held position of them having nothing in common and their 20-year marriage just being an aberration has been modified, and spike milligan is partly to blame.

I've got a shelf of old Milligan books rescued from second hand shops and given to me by my parents for various birthdays, and re-reading this reminded me so much of my childhood. Both my parents love Spike Milligan (and Round the Horne, The Navy Lark and The Goons come to think of it. And Gin but I think that's probably for another discussion) and for me he is pretty much emblematic of my parents at their best when they were together; funny, silly and laughing.

A shared love of spike milligan clearly wasn't going to be enough for successful marriage, but at least it's a nice piece of the jigsaw to have, as well as arming me with amusing poems to entertain the milos with in the years to come.

[Gerry]

Although I am an admirer of Spike Milligan as a person and I can empathise with certain elements of his lifestyle, particularly the mental breakdown, I have never been one to particularly care for his sense of humour; I never did like 'The Goon Show' when I was young for instance. And so it is with this selection of poetry, clever though it is some of it does not strike me as particularly funny although it is eminently readable and would no doubt appeal if read to a youngster.

He writes of the mixed up animal the Hipporhinostricow and 'How it got so mixed up we'll never know how' and the strange Bongaloo, who 'Is a tall bag of cheese/Plus a Chinaman's knees/And the leg of a nanny goat's eye' plus the python 'Curling round a tree' and to whom he says 'Bet you'd like to make yourself/A dinner out of me'.

Then he writes of Mary Pugh, who 'Was nearly two/When she went out of doors./She went out standing up she did/But came back on all fours.' The moral of that story is 'Please meditate and pause:/Never send a baby out/With loosely waisted draws.'

Monkeys, pussy cats and swans feature in various poems and in 'The Land of the Bumbley Boo', 'You never see a Gnu,/But thousands of cats/Wearing trousers and hats/Made of pumpkins and Pelican Glue!'

Perhaps my favourite is 'Said the General', which goes, 'Said the General of the Army,/"I think the war is barmy"/So he threw away his gun:/Now he's having much more fun.' I'm sure there is a moral there for those who are looking to create havoc in our modern world.

Finally I must mention one of my favourite Spike Milligan poems that isn't in the book (and I must confess I thought it ought to be), 'Silly Old Baboon'. It certainly deserves mention, so here goes, There was a Baboon
Who, one afternoon,
Said “I think I will fly to the sun.”
So, with two great palms
Strapped to his arms,
He started his take-off run.

Mile after mile
He galloped in style
But never once left the ground.
“You’re running too slow”
Said a passing crow,
“Try reaching the speed of sound.”

So he put on a spurt-
By God how it hurt!
The soles of his feet caught fire.
There were great clouds of steam
As he raced through a stream
But he still didn’t get any higher.

Racing on through the night
Both his knees caught alight
And smoke billowed out from his rear.
Quick to his aid
Came a fire brigade
Who chased him for over a year.

Many moons passed by.
Did Baboon ever fly?
Did he ever get to the sun?
I’ve just heard today
That he’s well on his way!
He’ll be passing through Acton at one.

... and there is a 'Silly Verse for Kids'!

[Jonathan]

Silly verse for kids is a collection of poetry that is, as the name suggests, full of surreal and comic verses aimed at children. It also features Milligan's own illustrations which compliment the poems.

I enjoyed some of the poems in this collection, but others were just too absurd and bizarre for me. "Look at all those monkeys" with the pun that Pekenise dogs travel during "Peke hour" on the trains was a favourite of mine. There were several others that showcased Milligan's inventive humour and eye for puns. The limerick about the King of China dying at dinner, "I've never felt finer" seemed like a private joke that I just did not get. There were a few others that left me wondering what he was trying to say.

Children will enjoy most of these poems, though some might need a bit of explanation. I think key stage two children will get most out of this collection and it could certainly inspire them to have a go at writing their own silly verse. It could also be read to a whole class group as fun and light introduction to different types of poetry.

[Jon Mowjoudi]

A book of over 30 rhymes accompanied by Spike's offbeat illustrations, 'Silly Verse for Kids' is a pleasure to read for adults and children alike. Contained within are timeless classics such as 'On the Ning Nang Nong', which many a teacher undoubtedly grew up with but children will still enjoy. One of my personal favourites comes in the form of 'Failure', which can be used to help children understand the diverse nature of poetry and explore a wide range of techniques and styles that stray beyond a standard format;

"I’m trying to write the longest first line that poetry has ever had,
For a start that wasn’t bad,
Now here comes a longer oneeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
I know I cheated:
It was the only way I could avoid being defeated."

A fantastic read and thoroughly recommended.

[Lipsy]

So, I finished the book I was reading on my way home, which always sucks. And for some reason all I could think of was that I wished I had some Spike Milligan to read...no idea why! My mum and dad used to read me this all the time. It was my favourite for years and a couple of years ago I got a new copy for xmas. Best book ever. I can still recite 'On the Ning Nang Nong', but tonight this was my fave:

Things that go 'Bump' in the night,
Should not really give you a fright.
It's the hole in the ear
That let's in the fear,
That, and the absence of light.

[Vincent Darkhelm]

Have read this many times. Never gets old. Brilliant from start to finish.

[Lee Goodwin]

As a child you look for amusing stuff, well I did.
So when I first saw milliganimals my nonsense look on life began to make sense
Here is a man called spike who made a living from doing what people thought was hysterical.
Crazy antics of a babbon who wanted to go where we imagined was a fun place.

So when I started reading silly verse the mad cap writing continued with so many favorite
Mine being teeth and of course rain
They make sense and today being my 57 year still do

We all need to read millican it's the best way to see reality and laugh and starve a snigger
And know we have always thought this way
But never had a pencil to Write it down.

[I Read, Therefore I Blog]

This is an illustrated collection of 34 silly verse for children aged 9+ by Spike Milligan, including On The Ning Nang Nong, A Thousand Hairy Savages and Today I Saw A Little Worm. Some of the illustrations in the version I read (published in 1968) don’t really pass for modern day attitudes but the verses themselves are brilliantly silly and ripe with Milligan’s distinctive voice and I think that kids will love the rhyming and the sheer fun of them.

[Dirk]

Having read some of Spike Milligan's wartime autobiography, coming back to this book underlines how much of this kids' book is really an unpacking of his military experiences. "Said the General of the Army, 'I think that war is barmy.'" A couple of poems feature people on guard duty who would rather be in bed. Of course there are also the animal verses, including some made up creatures and the wonderful illustrations by the author. Altogether now, 'On the Ning Nang Nong...'

[Meg Thompson]

Funny, crazy, eclectic poetry book that I believe can be used with children at any age! Shows a diverse range of poetry styles and just a generally funny book to have to share with a class. Could the children come up with their own wacky poems? Shows the diverse nature of poetry and explores a wide range of techniques and styles that stray beyond a standard format!

[Keren Lilley]

My absolute favourite kids' poetry book - I can still recite half of them from memory...
"There are holes in the sky
Where the rain gets in,
But they're ever so small,
That's why rain is thin!"
I loved AA Milne as well but there was something gloriously anarchic and word-smithery about Spike Milligan that outshone even Christopher Robin & Pooh...

[Isla Scott]

Its Spike Milligan - what more can I say? utter eccentric crazyness, in the best possible sense!. I read my mums copy of this when I was quite young. I'm guess-timating at around about 1995 maybe, although it might have been when I was a fair bit younger. I'm really not sure.

[Ellena Eaton]

A book of short and comical verse. Hilarious as ever, Milligan's nonsense poetry for children is just as funny as his other works. Some of the funniest verse to use with children who can enjoy the nonsense just as much as adults.

[Alice]

Funny

[Roland Trobe]

for adults too.

[Ms Doxey]

Great set of poems. Very entertaining. Year 3

[Charles]

theres some real fkn poetry right there

[Rose]

I loved these poems as a kid.

[Gary Vassallo]

Very funny and very silly! Typical Spike Milligan, highly recommended.

[Susan Austin]

A quick read with a few classics in it but a little unsatisfying overall.

[Phil Davey]

Damn, I must be younger than I thought, because this book still makes laugh!

[Carol Sheppard]

Silly poems to make you smile. Kids will love it

[Marcus]

Clever poetic nonsense and drawings.

[Sylvia Clare]

read them to my grandson in bed this morning when he came to wake us up and play- we both laughed - loved them - so important to keep poetry alive for children wonderful mind - tragic story though

[Ian Watt]

Poems that formed my childhood memories - no wonder I think the way I do in a mildly eccentric manner!

[Samantha Elden-Lee]

I grew up reading this and can still recite most of it. Genius at its best!

[Joanne Castledine]

Some brilliant poems enclosed, some a bit historical not hysterical….

[Laura]

This was one of my favourite poetry books that I loved reading with my parents and on my own over and over again as a child. The collections contains over 30 poems of different lengths, all with a humorous tone, and are all of course like the title suggests, very silly! My copy of this book is battered which is a telling sign that it was much loved. The great thing about this collection is the variety, some are very short and memorable and others are longer with rhyming verses. They are all equally as silly and are easy for children and adults to enjoy. I believe Spike Milligan's poetry is a great way for children to be introduced to poetry, as it is simple but wonderful, and there is fantastic potential for them to be read creatively. I loved reading all the poems out loud in silly voices. My favourite one was undoubtedly ‘On the Ning Nang Nong’ and I knew the whole poem off by heart. Milligan uses his poetic license to make up words and allow them to rhyme. Many of the subjects of the poems are children and animals which will grab the attention of children reading the poems. I liked, ‘My sister Laura’ for obvious reasons!

I would use this book with Key Stage 1 and 2 children as an introduction to poetry. Spike Milligan uses humour and illustration to make his short poems entertaining and intriguing for children and adults, of all ages. It may be interesting for explore how words rhyme, and introduce them to rhyming couplets. Highly recommended!!

[Peter]

Silly verse for kids is a collection of silly poems written by Spike Milligan, which is pretty much what it says in the title, however I think anyone could have a giggle at some of the poems no matter your age or maturity.
Some are just complete nonsense but there were quite a few which at the very least made me smile.
The enjoyed reading through the poems but what I would have liked was a bigger variety of poetry types and varying lengths of poems because they were near enough the same length. I did however like that they weren’t always written in the conventional form.
I would use this book for lower key stage two when we are looking at poetry to encourage them to think creatively and understand that poetry like writing can convey a range of emotions.