Parents' Guide to My Head Has a Bellyache: And More Nonsense for Mischievous Kids and Immature Grown-Ups: Mischievous Nonsense, Book 2

Book Chris Harris Poetry 2023
My Head Has a Bellyache book cover: Child hanging upside down holding their shoes

Common Sense Media Review

Carrie Kingsley By Carrie Kingsley , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 6+

Delightful poems have deeper meanings, great illustrations.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 6+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

What's the Story?

MY HEAD HAS A BELLYACHE: AND MORE NONSENSE FOR MISCHIEVOUS KIDS AND IMMATURE GROWN-UPS: MISCHIEVOUS NONSENSE, BOOK 2 is a collection of poems that ranges from short haikus to full pages of rhymes, packed with silliness, absurdities, and demonstrative illustrations. There are irreverent riddles and nonsense words, offbeat characters, real places with unique names, and wacky ideas occasionally paired with heartfelt thoughts.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say : Not yet rated
Kids say : Not yet rated

Appealing silliness and a love of words jumps off every page, alongside lively illustrations in this collection of poems that is fantastic for sharing aloud. My Head Has a Bellyache: And More Nonsense for Mischievous Kids and Immature Grown-Ups: Mischievous Nonsense, Book 2 is a delight to read, full of poems with unexpected characters (an elderly caveman), dedicated to a favorite word ("sausages"), wondering if a "free snakes" sign is an announcement or an instruction, and much, much more. There's an abundance of creativity here, and some deeper meanings, including that we have a lot of chances to figure out who we are and what we want to do in the world, and a poignant poem from a dad to a child about all the great things they're capable of doing in their life. This collection, which will bring to mind Shel Silverstein for many adults, is sure to create many warm shared reading memories.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the deeper meanings behind some of the poems in My Head Has a Bellyache. What poems started out as silly but made you think about something serious?

  • What would you write a silly poem about?

  • What other poems have you read and enjoyed?

  • These poems encourage you to speak your mind, even if you've got something wacky to say. Why is it important to communicate what's on your mind?

Book Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by

My Head Has a Bellyache book cover: Child hanging upside down holding their shoes

What to Read Next

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate