The Tale of the Terrible Toothpaste
I sort of squoze the toothpaste
And it splatted on the floor,
So then I tried to put it back
The way it was before.
But every time I squished it in,
It squiggled out some more —
So that is why I hid it
In the bottom of the drawer.
— Dennis Lee
Copyright © 2015. All Rights Reserved. From Melvis and Elvis. HarperCollins. Reprinted by permission of the author.
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From Melvis and Elvis
Canadian kidslit legend Dennis Lee’s first new children’s collection in more than a decade-in collaboration with bestselling illustrator Jeremy Tankard.
Melvis the monster
And Elvis the elf
Were hunting for books
On the library shelf-
One on the carpet,
And one in a chair,
So neither could see
That the other was there…
Melvis and Elvis is classic Dennis Lee, with more than thirty new poems for fans of his beloved collections, including the perennial bestseller Alligator Pie. This irresistible blend of narrative, word play, and pure nonsense, combined with Jeremy Tankard’s whimsical and energetic illustrations, will appeal to both the very young and developing readers.