Last Laughs: Animal Epitaphs (review)

This collection of "once upon a tomb" poems offers over thirty darkly punny, often extremely pithy ditties about the ends of a variety of animals. Subjects range from the turkey ("Sorry, no leftovers") to the "Infirm Worm" ("You'll find you've no more wiggle room") through critters as varied as insects, fish, and mammals. While not every poem hits the jokey sweet spot it's aiming for (and there's one that's silently adapting a college fight song), the speedy sepulchral irreverence will suit the tastes of many young readers, and the blend of sophistication and brevity makes the verses excellent bait for the poetry-reluctant. The art, digitally adapted ink and gouache, relies heavily on a sober dark brown that gives the impression of monochromatic illustration until one notes the touches of red (blood, of course), yellow (the fizz of the electrocuted goose), and warmer russet tones (in, for instance, the onrushing car that takes out the rooster). The grim polish and macabre comedy recall Lane Smith's work in The Stinky Cheese Man (BCCB 10/92); the style veers interestingly from impressive naturalistic detail (the doomed whale) to pure cartoon slapstick (the flattened roadkill newt). The charms here will appeal to lovers of Edward Gorey, Tim Burton, and their deliciously creepy kin, and the entries could make a ghastly and hilarious choice for older reading aloud with the right irreverent group. There is a table of contents, and the copyright page sorts out which poet wrote what.