First Of All, You're All Winners In Your Own Way

The visions of double random number generators danced in my head as I got to the home office last night, but I ended up just printing all the names of people whose reviews were published, cutting them into long, thin strips, folding them up, and then dumping them in a collander where my wife drew them out with a great flourish of not looking. So without further delay, here are the prizewinners from the DT Bizarre Book Contest, in order:...
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And The Contest Winners Are... Still Undetermined

I'm traveling today--meetings--and when I get back tonight, the DT Contest Verification Team and I will do the drawing for the prizes in the Bizarre Book Review contest. I'll post the results later tonight, aight?...
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DTBBC: The End, And One Non-Review

And that's all, folks. If I hadn't consumed an entire handtruckful of Diet Coke posting all these Bizarre Children's Book reviews, I'd say I need a drink. [excuse me for a sec... ok, I'm back.] If I missed any reviews--like, say, the one you sent in--please drop me a line; otherwise, thanks again to everyone for an awesome response. [If your response was somewhere south of awesome, by all means, let me know. And if you know people who've stopped...
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DTBBC: A to Z Picture Book

Title: A to Z Picture Book [1974 pb edition, 2002 hb reissue] Author/Illustrator: Gyo Fujikawa [ALA article on her] Reviewed by: Tiffany A mixture of color illustrations and black and white sketches convey flowers, people, items, animals, holidays, actions, and feelings that represent each of the letters of the alphabet. This would not be too different from a Richard Scarry book if it were not for Fujikawa's gorgeous illustrations. Not to take anything away from Mr. Scarry - his work...
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DTBBC: Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

Title: Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs Author/Illustrator: Judi Barrett Reviewed by Zac from Baby Roadies Actually quite entertaining, and not nearly as disturbing as the guy who was trying to fire a gun with a stick of dynamite, but the concept of food falling from the sky (and not killing everyone in its path) kinda creeped me out as a kid. [ed. note: yeah, wasn't some woman almost killed when some punk dropped a frozen turkey onto the...
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DTBBC: Uncle Wizzmo's New Used Car

Title: Uncle Wizzmo's New Used Car Author/Illustrator: Rodney Alan Greenblat [site: rodneyfun.com] Reviewed by: Cindy I'm an auntie, not a mom or dad, but I know that the book my nephews got the most joy out of as littles was Uncle Wizzmo's New Used Car by Rodney A Greenblat. It was published in 1990, and Shelley Duvall included it in her Bedtime Stories series. I'm bummed I couldn't find a picture of the cover for you, 'cause the art is...
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DTBBC: Goops and How To Be Them

Title: Goops and How To Be Them: A Manual of Manners for Polite Infants [J. B. Lipincott Company, 1900] Author/Illustrator: Gelett Burgess Reviewed by: JJ Daddy Baby Momma When seeing Mr. Yuk caused all my repressed childhood terrors to surface, I recalled that my most bizarre childhood book, Goops, was still on the shelf. The book, published originally in 1900, was brought home in my early days in the mid-60s, most likely stolen from the library junk pile at the...
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DTBBC: Yummy Yucky

Title: Yummy Yucky Author/Illustrator: Leslie Patricelli Reviewed by Shauna R. [her oldtimey blog] Have you ever met a parent, perhaps one of your own, who was obsessed with not "giving the kids ideas?" Maybe little Bobby is on his way out the door with his fishing pole, and his dad says, "Don't go swimming in the pond, little Bobby!" and his mom says, "Oh Ned, don't give him any ideas!" Yummy Yucky by Leslie Patricelli is full of such ideas....
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DTBBC: The Little King, The Little Queen, The Little Monster

Book: The Little King, The Little Queen, The Little Monster Story and illustrations: Ruth Krauss [wikipedia] Reviewed by: Jennifer What makes the book "The Little King, The Little Queen, the Little Monster (and other stories you can make up yourself)" by Ruth Krauss "bizarre" is not so much the story line, but the illustrations. The three stories are nearly identical, only the main character changing... little boy wishing to be a king, little girl wishing to be a queen, and...
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DTBBC: "In the end, the big bunnies win."

Title: Guess How Much I Love You Author/Illustrator: Sam McBratney, Anita Jeram Reviewed by: Kelli On the surface, this seems like a sweet little book about two rabbits declaring their love for each other. But, why does the Big Nutbrown Hare constantly have to outdo the Little Nutbrown Hare? Why does he have to get in the last word--after the Little Hare is asleep? Why not let the Little guy win one once in a while? Can't the Big...
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DTBBC: Maybe My Baby

Title: Maybe My Baby Author: Irene O'Book (O'Really?) Photos: Paula Hible Reviewed by: Matt I can't remember exactly where we got this book; I think maybe the hospital gave it to us. Basically, it features (poorly-lit) photos of babies in costumes meant to signify grown-up jobs. The relevant point, though, is that the accompanying text is a transparently preachy lesson aimed squarely (and bluntly) at the parents. At you, the, clearly dumb parents who need to be instructed on how...
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DTBBC: Go Go Go Grabote

Title: Go Go Go Grabote Author/Illustrator: Nicole Claveloux (A Harlin Quist Book 1973) Reviewer: Geoff I was looking around my kid's overwhelming book collection, thinking about which ones might be deemed Bizarre. The first to come to mind are the 1950s Austrian books some friends gave us. They weren't bizarre, just old fashioned. Then, I found this book from that my wacky NYC Aunt sent me back in the early 1980s (she was 1980s wacky) and I must have read...
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DTBBC: Flanimals

Title: Flanimals and More Flanimals Author: Ricky Gervais Illustrator: Rob Steen Reviewer: Julie My four year old son just loves Flanimals, by Ricky Gervais, of The Office fame. He has to show this book to every grup who visits our house, and he will preface the presentation by saying in a very serious tone, "These are just pretend." Flanimals is a textbook of absurd and grotesque creatures that blow up, eat each other, have disgusting hygiene and bodily functions, or...
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DTBBC: Mister Dog

Title: Mister Dog Author/Illustrator: Margaret Wise Brown, Garth Williams Reviewed by: Mark You would think that a book entitled Mister Dog that had a dog with a bowtie and straw hat smoking a pipe on its cover would be about a dog named Mister Dog, but this book isn't. The dog's name is Crispin’s Crispian because he belongs to himself. You'd actually think that the dog's name would be Crispi*a*n's Crispian, or maybe Crispian's Crispian Dog (Mister Dog) but it's...
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DTBBC: Who Cares About Disabled People?

Title: Who Cares About Disabled People? Author: No one had the guts to claim authorship, though a copyright is held by M. Twinn. Illustrator: Pam Adams Reviewed by: AJ at Thingamababy ISBN: 0-85953-351-4 I picked this book up at a warehouse sale for a toy store going out of business. The book reads like an encyclopedia of human frailties and failings. Its message is that we should be accepting of disabled people and "when you are friends you do...
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DT Bizarre Book Contest: Charlie and the Biggest Bunch of Flowers

Title: Charlie and the Biggest Bunch of Flowers Text, Concept, Illustrations: Janet Allison Brown, Fiona Hayes, Samantha Chaffey Reviewed by: Jack Charlie wakes up and realizes today is his mother's birthday. He jumps out his window to find a gift, but it's OK because "Charlie lived in a bungalow, so he didn't hurt himself." He plucks flowering weeds from the family lawn that Dad is presently mowing. Then Charlie climbs back through his window and surprises Mom, telling her he...
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DT Bizarre Book Contest: Put Me in the Zoo

Book: Put Me in the Zoo: A Book of Colors Author and illustrator: Robert Lopshire Reviewed by: Sandi I enjoyed this story when I was a kid, so I bought it without blinking when shopping for board books. I didn't remember the plot, only the face of the colorful and friendly animal on the book cover. In the story, a leopard-like yellow animal with red spots walks to the zoo, wanting to live there. He is promptly expelled without reason....
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DT Bizarre Book Contest: No Kiss For Mother

Title: No Kiss For Mother [image: from a copy on ebay] Written and illustrated by: Tomi Ungerer Reviewer: Marya It’s been pointed out by one commentator that some of the books reviewed here are unintentionally strange, while others are meant to be weird. No Kiss For Mother was obviously created from a gleefully subversive angle, but even with that in mind there are several truly puzzling “wtf?” moments. No Kiss For Mother tells the story of a young cat...
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DT Bizarre Book Contest Is Closed. Long Live The Bizarre Book Contest.

Thanks to everyone who sent in reviews or links to reviews. Any reviews you keep sending in are still welcome, but they won't be eligible for the prize drawing. I'm working to publish the backlog of reviews, which'll probably take 2-3 more days. Meanwhile, please take a few minutes improving your brand perceptions of and likelihood to shop at the sponsors who provided prizes: Javis Davis, Modernseed, and Sparkability. Javis Davis, Modernseed, and Sparkability. Javis Davis, Modernseed, and Sparkability. Texas...
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DT Bizarre Book Contest: Punkfarm

Title: Punkfarm [overbaked flash site] Author/Illustrator: Jarrett J. Krosoczka Reviewed by: Jennifer A bunch of barnyard animals stage a raging rock concert after their farmer goes to sleep. And in the morning, they're partied out. I don’t know if this is too bizarre, as I adore it and my daughter loves it at 6 months, but it’s pretty funky! [ed note: looks more like an office colleague band than actual punks. Still, their farmer/boss is lucky they didn't stage...
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