How Come I've Never Seen a Can of Broccoli?

Description

114 pages
$14.95
ISBN 0-9686942-1-7
DDC C818.602

Publisher

Year

2001

Contributor

Reviewed by Lynne Perras

Lynne Perras teaches communication arts at the University of Calgary.

Review

The authors, father and daughter team from Manitoba, have compiled a
whimsical and entertaining collection of one-sentence questions that
ponder life’s linguistic idiosyncrasies and other small mysteries.
Divided into six categories (church, shopping, sports, travel, home, and
miscellaneous), the book ponders such puzzles as “If it is made in
England, how come we call it China?,” “How come a boxing ring is
square?,” and “How come Scotland Yard is in London?” Each page in
this small book presents two questions of this nature, each mostly
amusingly unanswerable.

Some questions are less provocative than others. “If you have been
told to remain silent, how do you call your lawyer?” overlooks the
fact that suspects have the right to remain silent, not ordered to do
so. “How come Tarzan doesn’t have a beard?” and “How come little
safety pins are gold and the bigger ones are silver?” are among the
questions that elicit more laughter. How Come I’ve Never Seen a Can of
Broccoli? would make a great stocking stuffer or little gift for the
inquisitive reader.

Citation

Black, Brian, and Mechan Black., “How Come I've Never Seen a Can of Broccoli?,” Canadian Book Review Annual Online, accessed December 12, 2024, https://cbra.library.utoronto.ca/items/show/7200.