Ogden Nash Books

At the risk of seeming rash
I recommend this book by Nash.
I haven't found a rhyme for Ogden,
Although I came close once when fogged-in.

By the way this book is NOT by Etienne Delessert, as listed above, although he is the illustrious illustrator.

Ogden Nash is my favorite poet, and I probably like his poems on different animals the most. They're quicker. Quick poems are prefferred by me, because they don't take too long to read and I can sit and think about them, and even feel like reading them again. Here's one, and I didn't write it, Ogden Nash did:

The ant has made himself illustrious
Through constant industry industrious
So what?
Would you be calm and placid
If you were full of formic acid?

A collection of animal poems, for anyone who thinks animals are funny!

I look forward to these verses again and again. Unlike most bedtime stories, you can set the length of reading time to your situation. the humor stimulates your imagination and makes you want to add verses. Just lots of fun!

A remarkable collection of poetry, wit, observations and reflections on life. Ideal for those who enjoy a chuckle. I have most pages turned over in this book, as it's such an entertaining read!

Let's plump down our cash
For the verses of Nash
Though they wink at both meter and rhyme.


Yes, let's plunk down our pence
For these poems make sense
At least, about half of the time.

Oh, who gives a fig for Bukowski or Collins
Or a solo played by the great Sonny Rollins?
Let all the old poets be backfilled and bogged-in
I only ask for more verses by Ogden.


----Lynn Hoffman, author of New Short Course in Wine,The and
the almost totally unpoetical novel bang BANG: A Novel ISBN 9781601640005

This is a collection of the beat of Ogdenisms over a 30-year period. I really like his short verses as I can remember them when I am describing Ogden Nash to people. This book has 522 pages with more verses than pages. He never has problems with acquiring riming words, even thou the dictionaries fall short of containing them. This is the American way with English.

So when you play scrabble keep a copy of this next to the deficient dictionary.

Play by S. J. Perelman and Ogden Nash starred Mary Martin as Venus, in the Broadway cast list in my copy of the book! Pages have deckle edges, nice. Endpapers have the song words and drawings in red, nice illustrations. Rare. Great deal, recommended.

One of my earliest memories of reading includes The Animal Garden. My grandparents had it at their house, and they probably read it to me hundreds of times. They loved all sorts of poetry, and I loved the idea of planting seeds that would grow into pets just like flowers. I still find it to be a great read because of the wonderful verse and the enthralling pictures. I think a nostalgic vision of Abidan Alseed will be with me always.

I wish that Nash's books would come back into print. I think that my children would love him now as much as I did in the '60s!

The Christmas that Almost Wasn't is a poem for children of all ages, the story of Nicholas Knock, a seven-year-old boy, saving the kingdom of Lullapat from a dark conspiracy. The king's nephew Evilard has locked up the king and outlawed Christmas, and it is up to Nick to save the day.

This is a beautiful book to read aloud, being fully in poetic form and chock full of unforgettable images. "The flour was unground into wheat at the mill, for the river turned round and flowed back up the hill. The spots on the leopard went rolling away - and were captured for marbles by urchins at play." Some of the words aren't ones children see everyday, but nowhere does it come in the way of the story. Good chance to learn some vocabulary, and even if you don't it's pretty obvious what's going on.

The pictures, at least in my edition (1957 Little, Brown &co. hardcover) are mostly ink drawings with little color, but the real pictures are in the words and the illustrations just add a bit of zing.

I hope someday this is reprinted for new generations to enjoy.

In my opinion, The Cruise of the Aardvark is one of Ogden Nash's best works. While toned down a bit, his sarcastic wit and unique verse is quite entertaining. The book is also educational, as children (and adults) learn some facts about aardvarks they may not have known. The book also has a great moral, teaching that everyone is unique, and while we're different, we are equally made. I reccomend this book for anyone, whether they have kids or not. I don't have kids, but I like to keep a copy on my coffee table for when I have guests. It always gets a good laugh.

Up to this point (1960) there had been published nine volumes of "The Best From Fantasy and Science Fiction." Robert P. Mills carefully examined the back issues and culled 40 stories which he felt should have been included in those volumes. Then he eliminated any which had appeared in ANY other anthology. The result is this thick, 416-page paperback.

CONTENTS:

The Martian Shop Howard Fast
Walk Like a Mountain Manly Wade Wellman
Men of Iron Guy Endore
Rabbits to the Moon Raymond E. Banks
The Certificate Avram Davidson
The Sealman John Masefield
The Sky People Poul Anderson
The Causes Margaret St Clair (as Idris Seabright)
The Hypnoglyph John Anthony
A Tale of the Thirteenth Floor Ogden Nash
Spud and Cochise Oliver La Farge
Unto the Fourth Generation Isaac Asimov
Jordan Zenna Henderson
Will You Wait? Alfred Bester
Proof Positive Graham Greene
Shock Treatment J. Francis McComas
Gandolphus Anthony Boucher
The Last Shall Be First Robert P. Mills
A Trick or Two John Novotny
Lot's Daughter Ward Moore
Saturnian Celia Horace Walpole
Fear is a Business Theodore Sturgeon
Meeting of Relations John Collier
First Lesson Mildred Clingerman
To Fell a Tree Robert F. Young

Ogden uses English as it is meant to be used to express feelings and sights that grammarians could never depict. He is mostly funning, awe inspiring and almost hypnotic in his depiction of everyday life example:

A WORD TO HUSBANDS

To keep your marriage brimming,
With love in the loving cup,
Whenever you're wrong, admit it;
Whenever you're right, shut up.

Ogden Nash's Zoo

Ogden uses English as it is meant to be used to express feelings and sights that grammarians could never depict. He is mostly funning, awe inspiring and almost hypnotic in his depiction of everyday life example:

A WORD TO HUSBANDS

To keep your marriage brimming,
With love in the loving cup,
Whenever you're wrong, admit it;
Whenever you're right, shut up.

It's a shame this book is out of print, because it's truly wonderful. Ogden Nash takes a serious subject--food, of course--and turns it into just another vehicle for his delightful comedy. Many of the poems are brief, but the laughs are not ("Candy/Is dandy/But liquor/Is quicker"). The illustrations by Etienne Delessert just make the poems all the more savory--these gelatinous watercolors couldn't be a more perfect (or hilarious) accompaniment to Nash. They can best be described as Nash translated into visual form. For a tasty literary and visual snack anytime, I always turn to this book. I would advise all lovers of witty, inventive poetry to try to get this book.