Something Sure Smells Around Here: Limericks

Gr 3–5—This delightful collection of limericks starts with a useful definition and a few rules for composition, as well as some information on how these humorous poems function rhetorically. Cleary offers some basic advice for readers looking to pen their own poems. Limericks are meant to be funny and concise, and there are plenty of witty verses here and several that end with puns. One example involves a boy named Sonny who has spent all of his money on joke books and after eating one for lunch declares, "That tasted a little bit funny." Other fun lines include "a boy named Carmelo/[who] dreamed he ate an enormous marshmallow" and a "young spider named Deb,/who's become quite a singing celeb." An amusing, whimsical flavor runs through all of the selections here, and cute, colorful cartoon drawings accompany each offering, making this a wonderfully ridiculous collection.