BOOKS

If Apples Had Teeth

by Shirley GLASER
illus. by Milton Glaser. 40p. Enchanted Lion. Aug. 2017. Tr $16.95. ISBN 9781592702268.
COPY ISBN
Gr 1–3—Glaser is a celebrated graphic artist (the creator of the "I heart NY" logo), and it's his pen-and-ink work that is the most effective element of this ephemeral picture book. Who among us has wondered what would happen "If polka dots were white and buttered?" Spoiler: "they would be popcorn." Some of the conjectures have rhyme: "If mushrooms were hairy, they would be very scary," and some don't: "If snakes were salted, they would be pretzels." There is no discernible pattern or reason for the absurdities except to ignite the imagination and perhaps amuse readers with these silly suppositions.
VERDICT An additional but nonessential bit of nonsense with limited appeal.
Reviewed by Miriam Lang Budin, Chappaqua Library, NY
"If apples had teeth, they would bite back. If snakes were salted, they would be pretzels." So begins Shirley Glaser's gleefully absurdist "if/then" text, accompanied by iconic graphic designer Milton Glaser's imaginative, purposely silly illustrations in a retro color palette. The newly-back-in-print book is still fresh and entertaining--though perhaps not as provocative as when first published.
 , Jun 01, 2018

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