Three classic Dennis Lee titles in one beautiful book
This giftable and shareable volume brings together three of Dennis Lee’s best-loved collections of poetry—Alligator Pie, Jelly Belly and The Ice Cream Store—spanning three decades of his warm and whimsical rhymes.
“You can almost hear the skipping rope slapping the sidewalk,” wrote Margaret Laurence of Dennis Lee’s timeless poetry collection Alligator Pie. One of the first published illustrated books about Canadian children, and featuring Frank Newfeld’s instantly recognizable original illustrations, Alligator Pie has sold more than half a million copies since its publication in 1974.
Originally published in 1983, Jelly Belly tickles readers with a mix of humour and traditional Mother Goose charm. The vivid illustrations by Juan Wijngaard (winner of the 1981 Mother Goose Award) reveal wonders as readers follow the characters throughout the book and stumble upon new and fascinating visual treasures.
In the kid-pleasing collection The Ice Cream Store, originally published in 1991, Dennis Lee delves into the special and imaginative world of children. David McPhail’s gorgeous and appealing watercolour paintings of children and animals portray both the familiar and the fantastic, extending the meaning of the poems and providing a colourful feast for the eye.
DENNIS LEE is Toronto’s first Poet Laureate, an Officer of the Order of Canada and the author of timeless children’s collections such as Alligator Pie, Garbage Delight, Jelly Belly, Bubblegum Delicious and The Ice Cream Store. He has received many honours for his body of work, including the Vicky Metcalf Award for Children’s Literature. He is also an acclaimed writer of poetry for adults. His work is anthologized and read around the world.
JUAN WIJNGAARD worked as a children’s book illustrator after graduating from the Royal College of Art in London. He won the Kate Greenaway Medal for Sir Gawain and the Loathly Lady.
DAVID McPHAIL is the creator of dozens of wonderful books, including Big Brown Bear's Up and Down Day, Sisters, and Mole Music, a New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Book of the Year. He lives in New Hampshire. www.davidmcphail.com
Frank Newfeld is a book designer as well as an illustrator, art director, and educator. Over his career he has designed well over 650 books for publishers in Canada, the UK, Israel, and the United States, has won more than 170 awards, and has been named a member of the Order of Canada.
