Jacobs, Jaco Wurms met Tamatiesous en ander lawwe rympies Worms with Tomato Sauce and Other Silly Rhymes
Illustrated by Jacobs and Andrelise Meiring. Pretoria, South Africa: LAPA Uitgewers, 2005. 84 p. ISBN 0-7993-3443-X. Ages 6-8.
Commentary
These fun rhymes play with words and concepts in a manner that should fascinate children who are learning their mother tongue and beginning to appreciate language games. The rhymes show a supreme sense of the absurd: they ask questions about the illogicality of certain words and expressions, such as “Why does a cock have a comb, while it has no hair?”; and they deal with irrational fears, such as the “thing” under the bed or what knocks against the window pane. One humorous verse advises the youngster how to deal with a nightmare, while the title rhyme offers worms to eat in various guises and with a variety of sauces, ending with the punch line: “If these worms put you off, just imagine you are eating spaghetti!”
The illustrations are imaginative and appealing, and appear to be modelled from clay. For example, a rhyme about tongue twisters is illustrated with chameleons, with their long tongues drawn out into twisted, knotted ropes.
Picture Books South Africa LAPA Publishers | |    |
