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I would like to introduce you to a new children’s book Beware the Dragon and the Nozzlewock by Vikram Madan. I requested a copy of the book for a review. The book will be arriving soon God willing. But I wanted to share the Press Release with you encase your children are looking for a new book to read.
Visit him at vikrammadan.com.
Super-Librarian Betsy Bird says Beware the Dragon and the Nozzlewock by Vikram Madan is “one of the finest, funniest poetry books” and Kirkus Reviews calls it “juicy” and “joyful”
★ “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. ”– Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“A delightfully eccentric and quirky collection of poetry, set against brightly colored illustrations and graphic novel comic panels…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…A fun purchase for elementary graphic novel and poetry collections due to the exciting nature of the poems and the self-contained stories.”—School Library Journal
“This follow-up to Geisel Honor book author Madan’s A Hatful of Dragons (2020) is an entertaining collection of intertwined stories told in bouncy rhyming lines….Madan’s playful book cleverly ties together poetry and graphic storytelling in a book filled with fun humor sure to please readers. The zany illustrations of the many madcap antics and wild happenings are full of bright colors and amplify the humor in the poems.”—Booklist
“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.” —Betsy 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
Beware the Dragon and the Nozzlewock: A Graphic Novel Poetry Collection Full of Surprising Characters! Author: Vikram Madan
Selected for Evanston Public Library’s 101 Great Books for Kids 2024 list
“A must-have story collection! With clever rhymes and humorous alliteration, Madan’s vivid imagination will have both kids and parents laughing out loud.”– Donna Barba Higuera, Newbery Award-winning author of The Last Cuentista
SPECIAL EVENT: Vikram Madan, local author of BEWARE THE DRAGON AND THE NOZZLEWOCK, in conversation with Janet Wong Friday Nov 15th, 20246:30 PM – 7:30 PM Brick & Mortar Books Redmond, WA
Vikram Madan grew up in India where, despite spending his childhood rhyming and doodling, he ended up an engineer. After many years of working in the tech industry, he finally came to his senses, and here he is, having followed his heart back to rhyming and doodling again!
His books of funny poems The Bubble Collector and Lord of the Bubbles both won Moonbeam Awards for Children’s Poetry. His book Owl & Penguin was a 2023 THEODOR SEUSS GEISEL HONOR winner – one of the biggest honors for children’s books.
A Hatful of Dragons: And More Than 13.8 Billion Other Funny Poems by Vikram Madan,( Wordsong, 2020) was awarded these honors:
Kirkus Starred Review Texas Bluebonnet Book Award Master List South Dakota Prairie Bloom Book Award Finalist A Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the Year A Kirkus Reviews Best Middle-Grade Books of the Year A New York Public Library Best Books of the Year for Kids A Denver Public Library Best and Brightest Poetry Books of the Year An Evanston Public Library 101 Great Books for Kids School Library Journal’s Fuse #8 Blog – Best Poetry Books of the Year School Library Journal’s Fuse #8 Blog – Funniest Books of the Year American Library Association ALSC Summer Reading Pick
He lives near Seattle, Washington, with his family, two guitars, and a few pet peeves, and devotes himself to making whimsical and humorous art.
Visit him
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
