Jamaica Sandwich? (It Could Be Verse) [Library Binding]

Brian Cleary (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1996 | Series: It Could Be Verse

A humorous rhyming tale, filled with puns based on geographical names.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this book of wordplay, part of the It Could Be Verse punning series, a boy preparing for a geography test casts the names of countries and cities in zesty, imaginative rhyme: "My brother drank a Malta day/ and dipped his fries in Greece./ And though his weight was Dublin,/ his Seoul seemed quite at peace," he recites. However, although varied typefaces highlight key words and the puns assist pronunciation ("Laos" equals "louse," "Chile" is "chili"), the book never locates its subjects on a map. Dupre's cacophonous photo-and-paint collages, busy with tumbling humans, animals and postcard images of landmarks, include out-of-context political maps-but these are often obscured by gesso for aesthetic purposes. A basic world map on the endpapers could have elevated this fun-loving volume to practical use. Ages 8-up.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-6?Beware of this book if puns make you groan! Cleary incorporates geographic place names into a boy's rhymed introduction to various members of his family. For example, his overweight brother's attempts to shed pounds by using "Sweden low" come to an end with the opening of a "New Delhi" in the neighborhood. The multi-imaged illustrations include sections of maps and additional wordplay on busy double-page spreads. Children who laugh at lines such as "Burpin' and Belgium from root beer" will appreciate Cleary's verbal and visual humor. A final page offers "punny" geographic riddles and encourages readers to concoct their own.?Kathy Piehl, Mankato State University, MN
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Library Binding: 32 pages
• Publisher: Lerner Publications (January 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0822521148
• ISBN-13: 978-0822521143
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 8.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,617,139 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Brian P. Cleary is the creator of the best-selling Words Are CATegorical® series, now a 16-volume set with more than 2.4 million copies in print. He is also the author of the Math Is CATegorical® series and several single titles including The Laugh Stand: Adventures in Humor and Rainbow Soup: Adventures in Poetry.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A humorous rhyming tale, filled with puns based on geography, December 20, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: Jamaica Sandwich? (It Could Be Verse) (Library Binding)

"Jamaica Sandwich?," written by Brian Cleary and illustrated by Rick Dupre, is a humorous rhyming tale, filled with puns based on locations all over the globe. As one of four books that comprise Lerner's "It Could Be Verse" series, "Jamaica Sandwich?" centers around a geographic theme, while the others focus on subjects such as animals ("It looks a lot like Reindeer"), music ("Give me Bach my Schubert"), and food ("You Never Sausage Love").

The narrative of "Jamaica Sandwich?" traces a boy's thoughts as his daydream carries him to faraway lands. From Algeria to Wales, Cleary's verse and Dupre's illustrations wander aimlessly with the narrator through various locales. At each stop along the tour, Dupre subtly and cleverly weaves appropriate excerpts of maps into his illustrations so children can have a visual, geographic referent to accompany the witty, lyrical text.

To reinforce the educational properties of "Jamaica Sandwich?," Cleary includes a mini-test at the end, complete with the opportunity for kids to write their own geography puns. So even if children flunk the test, they will at least come away with an appreciation of the challenges inherent in writing such a creative and funny book