Alligator Pie

Sheila Martindale is poetry editor of Canadian Author and Bookman and
the author of No Greater Love.

This is a reissue of an old favorite for a new generation who may have
somehow escaped hearing these lovable nonsense rhymes. What is new is
the postlude, in which the author reminisces about how the poems came to
be written, and his process of eliminating those pieces that “contain
a worthy statement” but that do not work for kids. What we have here,
then, are contemporary nursery rhymes that are relevant to our time and
locale. Canadian place names are used, as well as words such as
“bum” and “garbage,” which go down well with the younger set.
Dennis Lee is an accomplished writer, whose work remains delightfully
refreshing and readable. Frank Newfeld’s illustrations are just as
enjoyable as they were when Alligator Pie was first published 25 years
ago.