Beware the Dragon and the Nozzlewock: A Graphic Novel Poetry Collection Full of Surprising Characters!

Gr 3 Up--A delightfully eccentric and quirky collection of poetry, set against brightly colored illustrations and graphic novel comic panels. From the many chapters about the nozzlewock to a man with a black belt in slouching, young readers will enjoy the silly bits told through a variety of poetic forms reminiscent of classic children's poets, such as Shel Silverstein and Jack Prelutsky. Approximately 25 poems include characters ranging from woodland animals, aliens, children, and nagging nanas, to the titular dragon and nozzlewock. Some of the forms of poetry include concrete, ABAB, and others that have singsong rhymes to them--including one that is titled as a musical. Because the subject of each poem is goofy in nature, the flow of the book is fast and easy to follow for young readers. Artwork depicts subjects as cartoonlike, with bright colors and lots of movement and action. Some stories are contained in panels and some are more freely illustrated. VERDICT A fun purchase for elementary graphic novel and poetry collections due to the exciting nature of the poems and the self-contained stories.--Molly Dettmann

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

In varied but consistently tight verses accompanying expressive cartoon images depicting a diverse cast, Madan also trots in other memorable fancies, from a theatrical chorus line of grown-ups singing away a beleaguered child’s “Bad-Luck Bogeys” to a mummy happily joining a zombie rock band called the Rolling Moans, on the way to a gloriously glutinous finale in which a group of intrepid children tickle the Nozzlewock into a mighty sneeze of its own. Juicy, joyful, and just right for reading aloud, too.
 

"Vikram Madan is like a modern day Shel Silverstein. His books full of humor and poetry have been favorites of my own kids." —Kazu Kibuishi, NYT Bestselling Creator of the AMULET Graphic Novel Series

"If there is anything you can say of the book, it's consistently interesting, ridiculously funny, and inherently silly...one of the finest, funniest poetry books you'll have encountered in a long time. For those of you lucky enough to have already read A Hatful of Dragons, this is just as good, if not better. I'm not saying that Madan's unique form of humor, comics, and verse will save poetry as we know it, but I'm not NOT saying it either. Just hand it to a kid when they ask for something funny. You'll be doing them a favor (and isn't it nice to hand out a work of poetry during a month other than just April?). Clever stuff." —Besty Bird, School Library Journal Fuse 8 blog

"I enjoyed this sharp, snarky collection of illustrated poems that feel familiar (think Poe, Carroll) but have a charm all their own. I'm a sucker for poetry parodies that have good meter, and throw in unexpected vocabulary like causality and palpitated, and I'm hooked."—Robin Stern, Books Inc., San Leandro, CA

"So much fun! Kids are bound to love!"—Dan Ullom, Brick & Mortar Books Redmond, WA

"If Hitchhiker's Guide was a poetry book for children... This quirky and adorable book is more than a poetry anthology, it is also a graphic novel full of wacky characters whose surreal stories intersect as the poems go on. Read once for the vibes, then again and again as you hunt for all the references not only to other poems in this book, but beloved classics like "Jabberwocky" (referenced by the eponymous Nozzlewock I) or "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" (Deep, Dark, and Lovely). Whether you are reading it to yourself, to your family, or to your classroom, Beware the Dragon and the Nozzlewock is sure to make your audience laugh." —Amanda Zarni, Book Ends Bookstore, Winchester, MA

"A brilliant collection of illustrated poetry with a narrative arc that will have readers of all ages turning pages to find out what happens with the Nozzlewock!"—Sarah Threlkeld, Island Books, Merced Island, WA