Palindromania! [Gebundene Ausgabe]

Even the price is a palindrome in Jon Agee's latest witty collection, Palindromania!, the fourth title in a series that started with Go Hang a Salami! I'm a Lasagna Hog! The oblong edition runneth over with clever b&w cartoons. "In the Garden" imagines an offbeat Biblical encounter ("Eve?/ Sir, I'm Iris./ Madam, I'm Adam"). In another panel, a solo pill bottle is labeled "Lonely Tylenol."
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 3-7. Agee is a palindrome pro, and his sixth book on word play is a creative, comedic gem. Each two-page spread reveals a hilarious story in comic-book panels, using only palindromes as text. The expressive, black-and-white illustrations enhance the humor, sometimes creating meaning where the palindromes alone do not. Sprinkled among the standard approaches are upside-down words, distorted alphabet letters, and some panoramic scenes that will invoke laughter from both kids and adults. Even when he stretches the technique, with sometimes indecipherable monologues, Agee maintains a sparkle of mischievous fun that will impress readers. Although it would seem he's covered most standard ("Madam, I'm Adam") and the unexpected ("gnu dung") palindromes, a few inclusions in the acknowledgments page indicate there are plenty more for kids to finish up on their own--and even for another installment from Agee: "Want it? Naw?" "Uh, hu." You do. Roger Leslie
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Grade 4 Up-In his fourth collection of palindromes, Agee continues his love affair with the English language. The first page is a dedication to "MOM" in mammoth, "stone" block letters. Like the previous books, the pages are filled with whimsical black-and-white drawings of absurd or nonsensical situations. Some of the approximately 170 palindromes are monologues, some are comic-strip stories, and others are simply descriptive situations. From "How Palindromes Are Formed in the Atmosphere" to "AIBOHPHOBIA: Unusual Fear of Palindromes," readers are treated to rib-tickling, humorous stories, often with a subtle message to decipher. In "In the Garden," Adam asks a woman, "Eve?" She responds, "Sir, I'm Iris." After exhibiting a look of surprise, he responds, "Madam, I'm Adam," exuding an expression of supreme confidence. The pen-and-ink drawings give visual clues to the words. Even famous personalities, living and dead, or well-known logos cannot escape Agee's sometimes satirical pen. This book will invite students to join his comical, visual, and verbal train ride through the land of palindromes.
Linda Wadleigh, Oconee County Middle School, Watkinsville, GA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.