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CM . . .
. Volume XVIII Number 8. . . .October 21, 2011
excerpt:
The 101 jokes in 101 Creepy Canadian Jokes are thematically distributed among nine sections. �FROM SEA TO CREEPY SEA�, the book�s opening, and most �Canadian� section of this joke book, has 15 riddles, with the punch line, in most cases, depending on a play on words. For example:
Why did the Grim Reaper visit Sudbury? Obviously, to enjoy such a �Canadian� joke, the reader must bring some prior knowledge about Sudbury to the punch line. "Trick or Treat!� offers eight knock-knock jokes that revolve around Halloween. Trick or treat!� Who�s there? Owl. Owl who? Owl stop knocking if you stop hooting. In �Bone App�tit!� a baker�s dozen riddles focus on scary �creatures,� such as ghosts, zombies and monsters, and their eating habits. Why was the ogress having nightmares? It might have been someone she ate. Another half dozen riddles in �Bone Chillers� place the scary creatures in a winter environment. What do you get when you cross a vampire with a snowman? Frost bite! Sixteen additional riddles in �Creepy Canada� return the creepy critters to a Canadian geographic setting or situation. How did the werewolf become Prime Minister? He clawed his way to the top. The 13 riddles in �PARTS AND RE-CREATION� finds the book�s scary creatures being spectators at or participants in sports. Who is the most important player on the ghosts� hockey team? The ghoulie. �TOO GHOUL FOR SCHOOL� has 11 riddles that are ostensibly school related, but a few, such as the one that follows, seem quite removed from a school setting. What did the zombie give his sweetheart? A bouquet of noses. For a change of pace, �DR. FRANKENSTEIN, DR. FRANKENSTEIN!� has seven doctor/patient jokes. Patient: Doctor, I think I�m a zombie. Dr. Frankenstein: Well this is a no-brainer. The book�s final dozen jokes, grouped under the title �Laugh Your Head Off�, are once again riddles. Who helped Bigfoot get to the ball? Her hairy godmother. As can be seen from the various examples above, despite the book�s title, not all of the jokes are truly creepy nor are they all Canadian in their content. Bill Dickson�s cartoon-like illustrations, while mostly decorative, also frequently provide a visual context to help young readers �get� the joke. With just one or two jokes per page, 101 Creepy Canadian Jokes is a very quick read, and, while the book is not an essential purchase, humour, especially in a short form, is always one sure way to entice the reluctant reader. Recommended. Dave Jenkinson, CM�s editor, resides in vampire-free, but mosquito-infested Winnipeg, MB.
To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca. Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.
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