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Garbage Delight
Lee, Dennis
64 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1977
6 people are currently reading
51 people want to read
About the author
Dennis Lee
125 books48 followersDennis Beynon Lee, OC, MA is a Canadian poet and thinker who lives in Toronto, Ontario. He is also a children's writer.
After attending high school at the University of Toronto Schools, Lee received bachelor's and master's degrees in English from the University of Toronto. He is best known for his children's writings; his most famous work is the rhymed Alligator Pie (1974). He also wrote the lyrics to the theme song of the 1980s television show Fraggle Rock and, with Philip Balsam, many of the other songs for that show. Balsam and Lee also wrote the songs for the television special The Tale of the Bunny Picnic. Lee is co-writer of the story for the film Labyrinth.
After attending high school at the University of Toronto Schools, Lee received bachelor's and master's degrees in English from the University of Toronto. He is best known for his children's writings; his most famous work is the rhymed Alligator Pie (1974). He also wrote the lyrics to the theme song of the 1980s television show Fraggle Rock and, with Philip Balsam, many of the other songs for that show. Balsam and Lee also wrote the songs for the television special The Tale of the Bunny Picnic. Lee is co-writer of the story for the film Labyrinth.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 10, 2019
Ugh! Nope.
I thought some of the poems in The Ice Cream Store were pretty bad. Outdated. Inappropriate. But this... This is even worse.
Garbage Delight is as old as I am... and that makes me feel positively ancient. Many of the poems in here are just plain nonsense. Others are kind of offensive (like the one about the girls with facial hair where one of them blows her face off with a bomb). Some are downright horrifying; one poem has a child throwing his little brother from the CN Tower. When that inexplicably doesn't kill him, he stuffs him in the furnace and waits eagerly for December when the heat will go on.
Both of these poetry collections are too old. There are only a few poems that could work for today's audiences. They should maybe be collected and put into a new volume with nicer pictures. (I'm not a fan of the illustrations here. They're outdated--again, that seems to be a theme--and not particularly appealing to look at. I liked the pictures in The Ice Cream Store much better.)
I can't recommend this. If you want a cringe-worthy look at what was deemed appropriate literature for kids in 1977, have a look... but I wouldn't recommend letting a child read it.
I thought some of the poems in The Ice Cream Store were pretty bad. Outdated. Inappropriate. But this... This is even worse.
Garbage Delight is as old as I am... and that makes me feel positively ancient. Many of the poems in here are just plain nonsense. Others are kind of offensive (like the one about the girls with facial hair where one of them blows her face off with a bomb). Some are downright horrifying; one poem has a child throwing his little brother from the CN Tower. When that inexplicably doesn't kill him, he stuffs him in the furnace and waits eagerly for December when the heat will go on.
Both of these poetry collections are too old. There are only a few poems that could work for today's audiences. They should maybe be collected and put into a new volume with nicer pictures. (I'm not a fan of the illustrations here. They're outdated--again, that seems to be a theme--and not particularly appealing to look at. I liked the pictures in The Ice Cream Store much better.)
I can't recommend this. If you want a cringe-worthy look at what was deemed appropriate literature for kids in 1977, have a look... but I wouldn't recommend letting a child read it.
February 22, 2012
OK so it was a real shift in tone from McCarthy's The Road but a wonderful return to earth. Nothing quite equals this book and Alligator Pie in their constant presence in my life. I still have such vivid happy memories of sitting crosslegged crammed in with friends at the librarians feet looking up. Now my kids sandwich me tightly while I read it. It feels really human and good.
May 10, 2016
I borrowed this from the library about a week ago and we've read it at least twice a day since. The illustrations are simple and pair very nicely with the text. Silly and fun to read aloud!
*note: this is the illustrated version of the poem, not the full anthology of poems by the same name.
*note: this is the illustrated version of the poem, not the full anthology of poems by the same name.
June 1, 2018
I loved reading this book to my son, but also enjoyed it thoroughly myself. There were plenty of mischievous laughs and deep questions that it raised. The girl who ate the monster and the boy who threw his brother off of the CN tower both provoked quite a bit of thought from my toddler.
It's telling that Lee would end a book of children's poems with a shrug, and a befuddled gesture towards the puzzling nature of writing poetry. I like a man that can speak his truth to children - after all, sometimes grownups don't have all the answers.
It's telling that Lee would end a book of children's poems with a shrug, and a befuddled gesture towards the puzzling nature of writing poetry. I like a man that can speak his truth to children - after all, sometimes grownups don't have all the answers.
August 30, 2025
What a weird book. At first, it seemed like Shel Silverstein. Then, when there was the poem about a little girl blowing her face off with a bomb to remove facial hair, I was kind of pulled out from it. I get that they were trying to do something absurd and 'out there.' But that poem was just so disturbing, in a way.
My Grandma found this book at the thrift store she works at in Sechelt, British Columbia. She gave it to me, and I liked how strange the illustrations were... But the poems became abundantly clear that they became a tad repetitive (in that they lacked substance) after a while.
My Grandma found this book at the thrift store she works at in Sechelt, British Columbia. She gave it to me, and I liked how strange the illustrations were... But the poems became abundantly clear that they became a tad repetitive (in that they lacked substance) after a while.
September 15, 2025
In this wonderfully illustrated picture book are 42 poems for children. Written by renowned Canadian poet and author, they are funny, clever, silly, enjoyable. A few titles are: The Aminals; The Operation; Skindiver; The Swing; Garbage Delight; The Coming of Teddy Bears.
March 27, 2014
This is a book of fun Canadian poems perfect to read at bedtime or out loud to a classroom full of children. Children can relate to these wacky poems that are about Being Five, Mulligan Stew and eating Monsters. Like other poetry books by Dennis Lee, Garbage Delight is full of fun and interesting illustrations that will grab the attention of any child who picks it up.
I Eat Kids Yum Yum!
A child went out one day.
She only went to play.
A mighty monster came along
And sang its mighty monster song:
“I EAT KIDS YUM YUM!
I STUFF THEM DOWN MY TUM.
I ONLY LEAVE THE TEETH AND CLOTHES.
(I SPECIALLY LIKE THE TOES.)”
The child was not amused.
She stood there and refused.
Then with a skip and a little twirl
She sang the song of a hungry girl:
“I EAT MONSTERS BURP!
THEY MAKE ME SQUEAL AND SLURP.
IT’S TIME TO CHOMP AND TAKE A CHEW—
AND WHAT I’LL CHEW IS YOU!”
I Eat Kids Yum Yum!
A child went out one day.
She only went to play.
A mighty monster came along
And sang its mighty monster song:
“I EAT KIDS YUM YUM!
I STUFF THEM DOWN MY TUM.
I ONLY LEAVE THE TEETH AND CLOTHES.
(I SPECIALLY LIKE THE TOES.)”
The child was not amused.
She stood there and refused.
Then with a skip and a little twirl
She sang the song of a hungry girl:
“I EAT MONSTERS BURP!
THEY MAKE ME SQUEAL AND SLURP.
IT’S TIME TO CHOMP AND TAKE A CHEW—
AND WHAT I’LL CHEW IS YOU!”
December 7, 2012
This is a very cute book of poems and would be best for those who enjoy whimsical poetry. The poems are a bit humorous and can be enjoyed on different levels by children and family. This author has many other books similar to this one such as, "Alligator Pie".
June 18, 2014
Love words? Bet you don't know a beeter way to share that love with children than to give them examples of how much delight words can produce... Dennis Lee is a Canadian Phenom who loves words. (Occasional echos of A.A.Milne are heard).
June 24, 2008
I asked specifically for this book for Christmas a couple of years ago - just so I could see if I'd enjoy it as much as I did when it was read to me in school, lo these many years ago. I did!
May 31, 2016
Fabulous poetry book for kids.
March 8, 2021
Takes me back to childhood...delightful...:):)
June 26, 2008
Mind blowingly bizarre children's poetry, with insane illustrations.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews