Smelly Locker: Silly Dilly School Songs

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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that these songs are meant in pure silliness, but they also laugh up some bad school behavior like getting out of homework, not studying, and abusing hall passes.
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What's the Story?
Classic kids' songs are turned into hymns to the misery of school.
Is It Any Good?
In the grand tradition of "Jingle Bells, Batman Smells," these songs will have kids in stitches while most grown-ups roll their eyes. In fact, adult eye-rolling may add to the kid-appreciation and so to the repeated singing of songs like "Passing Notes" set to the tune of the "ABCs." Of course kids love to be negative about homework, tests, and cafeteria food, but parents may get tired of hearing about it and might wish these songs weren't quite so gleefully anti-school. Definitely flip through it first and see whether or not it resonates with your family's sense of humor.
As poems go, well, they're not bad. Namely they rhyme and easily replace the lyrics to familiar songs like "London Bridge Is Falling Down" and "Hey Diddle Diddle." But parents looking for more than superficial laughs will be disappointed. The pictures are suitably matched to the content; lots of screechy looking kids with misshapen heads and pursed faces. They're definitely funny but a little grotesque, too, like the poems themselves.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the jokes and their own family's values around school. Can you come up with your own silly songs? Maybe kids can put on a family concert complete with costumes and some slapstick dance moves.
Book Details
- Author: Alan Katz
- Illustrator: David Catrow
- Genre: Picture Book
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster
- Publication date: July 1, 2008
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 9 - 9
- Number of pages: 32
- Last updated: July 12, 2017
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