Bennett Cerf ~ Roy McKie ~ Random House, 1960To keep in the theme of all things Roy McKie this week, I'll post on the initial book he illustrated for the Beginner Books series, the first of a gaggle of joke books he did both with and without Mr. Cerf. My son loves these. As a matter of fact, the four or five gag books we have all feature Roy's drawings and my son has memorized every one. We won't go a single day without one of these beauties getting plucked from his brain and spat out at random.
What gets lost every time you stand up?Your lap.
What makes more noise than a cat stuck in a tree?Two cats stuck in a tree.
If you drop a white hat into the Red Sea, what will it become?Wet.
The riddles are really witty and smart, brought home by Roy's wonderfully-silly illustrations (some of which I used in the previous post). I love the way my son feels a sense of empowerment each time he uses one of these jokes. Like he's pulling something over on someone... telling the joke, standing back and then laughing wildly. Such sweet fun.
And just in case anyone is wondering who that fellow on the cover is...What is big and red and eats rocks?
A big red rock eater.
Reminding me of the question my son always asks of a new friend. "So is the one-eyed, one-horned flying purple people eater actually purple or does he just eat purple people?"
Also by:Bennett Cerf's Book of Animal Riddles
The Nose Book
Summer
Mélisande
Snow
Bennett Cerf's Book of Laughs
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a kid after my own heart...that purple people eater question will haunt me now. thanks:)
ReplyDeleteOh man!!! You are reading my memory bank this week!!!
ReplyDeleteOh! My son would love those jokes!
ReplyDeleteI LOVED this book as a kid.Some of the riddles seemed like huge philosophical questions to me. The final riddle, "Why is the thing you are looking for always in the last place you look?" (as best my memory recalls)just blew my mind. I refer to that riddle all the time in my "grown-up" life.
ReplyDeleteI totally remember this book. I was telling my 8-year-old jokes from it this evening (the few that I remember). Anywhere I can purchase a copy?
ReplyDeleteLoved this as a
ReplyDeletekid