BookList - Janice del Negro
This unusual collection will elicit gasps of recognition, if not downright guffaws. It is irreverent, earthy, and gross as well as funny. In three sections--"Getting Down to Basics," "Dealing with Authority," and "The Commercial World" --the authors insightfully explore a variety of songs, insults, gruesome jokes, and offensive, bawdy rhymes (including some raunchy anatomical ones) invented by or passed around among children. Although the folklore here is from North America, the introduction points out that similar songs and sayings are shared by adults and children the world over. Opening with 20 versions of the familiar "greasy, grimy gopher guts" rhyme, the book combines hilarity and serious commentary as it proceeds through subject areas ranging from bodily functions, death, pregnancy, and school to parents, friends, and "The Life and Deaths of Barney." Extensive source notes and a bibliography round out a fascinating look at the culture of childhood, which should be required reading for anyone working with young people. Kids will like the book, too.