Has anyone ever entered a writing contest? I'd love to know. If memory serves me correctly, I have only entered two in my life to date. I don't enter many writing contests for a few reasons. First, because it takes a lot of effort to find out about them, and well, I just can't be bothered. If something intriguing happens to come my way during my daily travels, mind you, I'll certainly investigate it further. Another reason I don't enter many writing contests is because a lot of them require you to pay a fee, and quite frankly, I figure that if it's a contest, I shouldn't be paying no damn money just for the privilege of entering. I suppose though, if it was a really amazing contest that I wanted to be a part of, that I would slap down some cash. But the contest would have to be pretty damn good. I understand that some of these organizations who run these writing contests need that entrance fee for administrative costs, but I'm also aware that there are a crap load of scammers out there just waiting to take advantage of some creative hopeful who's desperate to get some recognition for their work. Finally, I don't like to enter contests that I know I have a pretty damn slim chance of winning. Ergo, I don't enter many contests!
About ten years ago or so, I found out about this one writing contest that I was determined to win. I can't remember the exact name of the contest now, but I recall that it was sponsored by the bookstore WH Smith in Canada. So what was so appealing about this writing contest? Well, for starters, there was no entrance fee. And it was fun, and you had a certain amount of flexibility within the rules of the contest. All you had to do was provide five book reviews for books that had been published in the year previous to the contest. You could pick any books you wanted. But you know what was the best part of that contest? The prize was $1,000 Canadian dollars worth of gift certificates for 10 winners across Canada to be spent in the WH Smith stores. Not bad, huh? I don't see too many contests like that offered to the general public anymore!
So, yes, I was one of the winners. It was such a thrill. The reason I brought up this subject is because I'm still packing away all of my life's crap in boxes, and this morning I happened upon one of the book reviews I wrote for that contest. I thought I'd share it, just for fun. After re-reading this review, one thing that amused me was the fact that I recently got to meet the illustrator for this book, Maryann Kovalski, at a wonderful dinner with other children's illustrators. A delightful moment of synchronicity, I think.
Play Is The Thing
If you really want to understand a culture, just study their schoolyard rhymes – nowhere else will you get a more humorous, honest view on all aspects of life. For example, on the subject of relationships, an old rhyme states:
You can fall from a steeple
You can fall from above
But for heaven's sake Annie
Don't fall in love!
Such timeless rhymes are of course still applicable for today's generation. Or, consider a more contemporary rhyme concerning education:
No more pencils
No more books
No more teacher's dirty looks
What Canadian kid didn't sing that as the bell rung on the last day of school before summer vacation? How many times have you tried to sing an old street song, only to be befuddled because you couldn't remember all the words? Well David Booth has fixed all that. With the help of his son, David Booth has collected over a hundred different rhymes, from skipping rhymes to tongue twisters and catcalls. Entitled Doctor Knickerbocker and Other Rhymes, this Canadian collection will entertain the novice as well as the seasoned veteran of rhyme.
What better memory of childhood could there be than standing in the schoolyard at recess, clapping hands with your bestest friend, singing a silly song, and laughing 'til you thought you'd burst?
Miss Mary had a steamboat
The steamboat had a bell
Miss Mary went to heaven
The steamboat went to ...
... well, you get what I mean. Or on a hot summer's day, running down the street with friends, singing at the top of your lungs:
I scream, you scream
We all scream for ice cream!
There was method in our madness, you see. Parents would stuff us full of ice cream to shut us up.
Combined with David Booth's diverse collection are the captivating black and white illustrations of Maryann Kovalski. Little children dance around the pages, drawn like 19th century cartoons, in a style reminiscent of Edward Gorey. Words are typeset in different fonts, as well as being handwritten in cartoon bubbles by Ms. Kovalski. The variety of rhymes, illustrations and words creates a sumptuous, lively atmosphere all through the book.
Dr. Knickerbocker and Other Rhymes is pure delight from beginning to end. Each page is a new adventure of words and pictures, naughtiness and fun. And if you put me down for liking this book, well ...
Sticks and stones may break my bones
But names will never hurt me.
